


Shattered

by DanaWPatterson



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst, F/F, I'm Bad At Tagging, Slow Burn, mild homophobia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-01-05 19:42:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 53,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21214010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DanaWPatterson/pseuds/DanaWPatterson
Summary: Lena Luthor's best friend and the small group she'd begun to think of almost as family had been lying to her since she first arrived in National City. Now that she knows the truth, she's trapped between two equally strong emotions: hurt and anger. Why is it so easy for people to hurt her, to lie to her? Lena fights to keep herself from giving into her dark emotions and thoughts, doing her best to keep the Luthor side away, so she flees the city.When Kara can’t find her, Alex convinces her to let her search for the missing woman; the last person Lena will want to see is Supergirl. Alex will find her.





	1. Space

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Supergirl fic, and, as such, it's also my first AgentCorp fic. 
> 
> I’m not the biggest AU fan, but this is, of course, canon-divergent. Setting this shortly after Kara confessed being Supergirl to Lena. I tend to get wordy (you've been warned) so we're probably looking at a multi-chapter beast here. Also, I've marked this as Mature. It will get smutty. They all do eventually, if I'm being honest. I'm pretty shit-tacular at tagging (aren't we all?), so the rating and tags may changed as the mood strikes or the story dictates.
> 
> Your comments and kudos give me life. 
> 
> Follow me on Twitter @DanaWPatterson

Lena wasn’t taking her calls. She wasn’t returning her texts. Lena Luthor was flat out ignoring Kara. For a fleeting moment, Kara thought about flying up to the CEO’s office and confronting her, but that would be too much like, well, confrontation and she'd prefer to avoid that — fighting aliens and criminals was one thing, but just the idea of confronting Lena made her mouth go dry and her palms start to sweat. She considered showing up at her penthouse with some of her favorite foods. Food was _always _a good way to break the ice, and this ice seemed particularly frosty and thick. Instead, sitting at her desk inside CatCo, Kara Danvers picked up her phone and called Lena’s office. 

"Ms. Luthor is in a meeting," her assistant informed her with just a small degree of curtness in her voice, making Kara wonder if she knew something. "I’ll tell her you called, but her schedule is quite full at the moment." 

Kara hung up with a sigh and looked around. It was killing her. Lena knew she was Supergirl. She’d confessed to it and, while Lena seemed to take the news much better than she had anticipated, it was now painfully obvious that her best friend was dodging her. 

*** 

"Alex, tell me what I should do," Kara whined. 

She'd somehow managed to make it through the day without dropping in on Lena, but that didn't mean she'd stopped obsessing. She grabbed for the carton of potstickers before Alex could even set them down and shoved two in her mouth. 

"It’s driving me crazy," she said around a mouthful of food. "She won't even respond to my texts." 

Alex grabbed a plate and handed it to Kara before taking a plate for herself and beginning to fill it. 

"You need to give her some space," Alex said, reaching across the table for a potsticker before her sister could eat them all. She stopped when she caught Kara's glare and slowly pulled her hand back. 

The superhero snatched up the container of potstickers and held them close to her chest protectively. 

"No, Alex. I_ need _these." 

Alex waved a distracted hand. 

"Fine, whatever," she said, going around the kitchen island and opening the refrigerator door. She fished out two bottles of beer and popped their caps, sliding one across to Kara. "It's just... I just think you need to leave Lena alone. For now. You dropped a big bomb on her. She has trust issues. You know that." 

Kara groaned and dropped onto a stool, shoving another potsticker in her mouth. 

"But she said—" 

"Kara," Alex interrupted patiently. "We’re talking about Lena Luthor. _Lena_. Everyone she's ever cared about or let get close to her has lied to her. And she just found out that her best friend has been lying to her, too." 

"But I—" 

"I know," Alex said, coming around the counter and draping an arm around her sister's shoulders. "Let her come to you. Lena will come around. She’s probably just processing." 

*** 

Lena wasn't sure if she'd ever set foot in this house before, but it was the only place she could think of going where no one would be able to find her. Not anyone at L-Corp or the DEO and _definitely _not Supergirl. 

She pulled her car into the garage and killed the engine. For the first time since making up her mind to leave National City, Lena was hit by a wave of doubt. She'd fled like a coward and sought sanctuary in a home custom-built by her brother. Her mother's voice echoed through her head, ridiculing her for running —_Luthors__ don't run, Lena_. At the same time, her brother’s ghost haunted her, reminding her that her best friend and the small group she had begun to think of almost as family had been lying to her since she first arrived in National City. Lena briefly considered putting the car in reverse and going somewhere with fewer demons. 

But there was nowhere else. 

Lex had already told her about Kara. She'd been fully prepared for the Girl of Steel to continue lying to her. What she hadn't expected, however, was Kara’s complete and total honesty without even being prompted for it. Lena didn't need super powers to know that her friend’s words were sincere. They were. Kara might be a liar about some things, but it was impossible to doubt her sincerity. That didn't change the fact, however, that Kara and all of her friends had lied to her ever since meeting her. 

Lena Luthor was alone. She had no one left. 

The anger and hurt that had sent her driving away from her life in National City surged through her again. She pulled the key from the ignition and threw the driver’s side door open, going to the trunk for the single suitcase she'd hastily packed, and disappeared into her brother's house. 

*** 

**One Day Earlier **

Lena stood staring out her window at the National City skyline, glass of single malt Scotch in her hand. For a while she'd been scanning the skies for a glimpse of Supergirl. _Kara Danvers. _Now she just stared vacantly, her eyes never really focusing on anything in particular. 

It was a shock when Lex told her, but all the pieces fit together and it made perfect sense. But of all people, her brother, the most famous alien-hater of all time, had been the one to spill the secret: Kara Danvers was Supergirl. 

Kara was her best friend, her first real friend in, well, it didn't matter and Lena didn't like to dwell on it. Her friend had so easily lied to her every single day of their friendship. To make matters worse, she’d gotten her friends to lie to her, too, like she was just some great, big cosmic joke. James knew. Winn, Brainy, J'onn… they all knew. Even Nia Nal, who'd only recently entered their lives, knew before Lena. And of course, Alex knew. Kara was her sister, after all. 

Lena wondered who else knew. Cat Grant? Lena wouldn’t be surprised. Maggie Sawyer? She wasn't with Alex anymore but the pair had been engaged. It only stood to reason that the detective would know about her ex-fiancée’s sister’s secret life. 

That's what it was, too. It wasn’t just a secret identity; it was a secret _life_. Every time Kara had seemed even the slightest bit evasive or late for plans or disappeared "on assignment," it’d all been one lie after the other. When Kara claimed to be watching a movie or eating pizza with Alex or doing an interview for an article, she was really what? Flying around the city? Fighting aliens? And she’d _talked_ to Supergirl. They’d been face to face and had conversations. Supergirl talked to her as if they’d never met or were barely acquaintances. And in all those times, how had she never noticed that Kara had simply changed into a ridiculous costume, donned a cape, and taken off her glasses? 

Lena tightened her grip on the glass and tossed the contents back, swallowing it in one hard gulp. The warm heat of the alcohol stoked the fire of anger and hurt that had already settled into her belly. 

What was it that made it so easy to lie to her? Why did Kara trust so many other people with her secret? She seemingly trusted everyone but Lena. 

"It’s because I’m a Luthor," Lena mused to the empty room. She went to her bar and refilled the glass with three fingers of Scotch. She tipped the glass back and drained it and refilled it again. 

As a Luthor, she was inherently untrustworthy, unworthy of true friendship. She didn't deserve trust or friends. For years she'd done all she could to step out from under her family's dark cloud. She gave to charities and dedicated her research projects to making the world better. She’d even purchased CatCo for her so-called friends. And for what? So they could just make a fool of her over and over again? 

Kara’s teary confession should have put her at ease, or at least it should have taken her away from the dark place she now found herself in. She wanted to think she was wallowing but as Lillian would remind her, Luthors don’t wallow. 

She’d been positively certain that Kara would never tell her about Supergirl, but she had. Kara even told her that she'd wanted to tell her many times before, but was afraid of hurting her. 

It was too late, though. She’d already hurt her. The lies and finding out about them from Lex made it hurt even more. 

Lena stood between two equally strong emotions. On one side was the hurt from being lied to, distrusted, and that hurt burned straight through to her core. And on the other side was the anger for much the same reasons. The anger boiled inside her, threatening to open the door to darker thoughts and actions. 

She drank from her glass of Scotch and looked around her penthouse. It was a beautiful space full of beautiful, lavish, and expensive things. At the same time, it was empty. A waste of space that would never be filled with friends and laughter and love. She didn’t want to see anyone. She didn’t want to talk to anyone. Lena was alone now. 

"Because I’m a Luthor," she repeated and drained her glass. 


	2. Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. Thank you guys, so much! This is my first attempt at a Supergirl fic, and I was a bit nervous about jumping in. I'd been writing for another fandom for about a year, and I’m absolutely stunned by the number of kudos, subscriptions, and comments I picked up on chapter one in just about 24 hours. I appreciate you all so much. Thank you!
> 
> I warned you all that I'm wordy, and this chapter clocks in at close to 3,900 words. Whoops.

Alex said she should give Lena space, and she had. Kara gave it an entire day before trying to text Lena again. She’d completely and totally resisted the urge to fly into her penthouse for a whole 24 hours and what she was doing now wasn’t really stalking_._ No. Definitely not. It wasn’t stalking if she just happened to run into Lena while picking up coffee at the shop that just happened to be right next to the CEO's office. She just really needed coffee. 

Even though she was definitely not stalking her, Kara hadn’t run into Lena at the coffee shop. Instead she'd picked up her cup and turned around, coming face to face with her sister who was sitting by the door, drinking a cup of coffee and watching her. 

"Don’t you have coffee closer to CatCo?" Alex asked, cocking an eyebrow and eyeing Kara suspiciously. 

"Don’t you have coffee closer to the DEO?" Kara retorted. 

Alex nodded as she got up and finished her coffee. 

"I do have coffee closer to the DEO," she said, "but I had to stop at L-Corp to pick up something Lena was working on for us." 

"Oh. Me too. Interview! Me. I had an interview here, near here, I mean, and the coffee here? It's really, _really _good," Kara babbled, not meeting her sister’s eyes and looking down at her own coffee with a slightly guilty look on her face. "Was Lena there?" 

Alex sighed and tossed her empty cup in a trash can as she headed out of the shop, Kara following close behind. 

"What?" 

"What?" Alex repeated, turning around to look at her sister. "Really? Kara, just give Lena some space. Stop trying to force this. Has she texted you back?" 

"No!" 

"Well?" 

"Fine," Kara sulked. "I just want to talk to her, you know? She acted like we were okay and now..." 

Alex frowned slightly, but she understood. Kara was one of her favorite people, but she was like a puppy, eager to please and bordering on devastated when anyone was upset with her. 

"I know," she said. "But you know Lena. She’s gonna need some time, Kara." 

Kara gave a sad smile and nodded and shrugged at the same time. 

"Why don't you come over to my place tonight," Alex continued. "We’ll get pizza and watch one of those Lifetime movies you’ve been wanting to see." 

Kara brightened a little at this. 

"Pepperoni," she requested. "Oh! And barbecue chicken. And, ooh, get mozzarella sticks, too. Extra marinara." 

Alex smiled and started to walk towards her motorcycle that was parked at the curb. She raised a hand in a backwards wave. 

"Sausage and onions!" Kara called after her. 

*** 

_No signal_. 

That's exactly what Lena was hoping for when she began driving away from National City. The home’s walls, both lead-lined and constructed with silver wire mesh, served two purposes. One, to keep Superman’s x-ray vision at bay, and two, to act as a Faraday cage, shielding the home from external electrical fields. He’d created his own Fortress of Solitude. 

Lena wandered through the halls until she came to the master bedroom. She hesitated outside of the closed door with her hand on the knob, and then abruptly turned and sought out a guest room. Lex’s home may have been the best place she could think of to hide, but it was still Lex’s home. She’d spent a lifetime trying to separate herself from her brother and his deeds; she didn't need the intimacy of using his bedroom while she was here. 

The guestroom was small, but well-appointed and it served its purpose, giving Lena a place to sleep and be alone with her thoughts. She didn’t plan on spending much time in there anyway. 

She set her suitcase beside the bed and ventured curiously towards the large windows overlooking the circular brick driveway. The view was so realistic that Lena had to put her hand on the cold glass LED screen to assure herself that the window was just a charade. The image of the driveway was provided courtesy of a network of hidden security cameras, and the window was just a specially designed monitor. Lena smiled to herself. Lex may have been insane, but she couldn't deny his genius. 

After a moment, she finally turned away to explore the rest of the house. Lex’s custom-built home was unlike most of the other Luthor properties. Rather than a sprawling mansion over several acres, it was no larger than the average middle-class family’s Colonial. And while it was set back from the road and surrounded by dense trees, it was unremarkable from the exterior. Inside, however, Lex had gone out of his way to establish every comfort he could imagine. 

Lena found herself in a tidy study, sitting in front of an elaborately carved ivory chess board, a game left in progress. After a moment, she moved a piece, putting the opposing king in checkmate. Whoever had last played the game, Lena doubted it was Lex’s king that she’d just taken off the board. She couldn’t remember a time when she’d ever beaten him at the game. The victory against her unknown competitor was hollow and while she sat staring at the pieces Lex’s voice rang in her ears: _Kara Danvers is __Supergirl__. I may be dying, but at least I lived without ever being a fool_. _You’re left with no one and nothing._

The anger she’d been suppressing since entering the house surged through her and Lena tipped the chessboard over with such ferocity the black and white game pieces scattered across the parquet flooring. Maybe coming to Lex’s house was a mistake, but Lena knew her brother’s specter and words would haunt her forever no matter where she was. She’d only come here because she knew about the walls and the Faraday cage effect. If she wanted to get away from the world, get away from Supergirl, this was the best place to be, ghosts and all. 

She got up and went quickly across the room, grabbing a crystal decanter she assumed was filled with Scotch and taking it with her as she left the room, closing the door with a slam. This was a room she would not be returning to. 

*** 

Kara huffed out of Andrea Rojas’ office. They were never going to agree on how CatCo should uphold its journalistic duty, and arguing with Andrea was pointless. She balled her fists up and stormed through the office, passing by Nia who gave her an interested look. 

"That woman is impossible!" Kara exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air as she stalked passed. "I’m going out for air. I’ll be back." 

Her original thought was to take a quick trip around the block to clear her mind, but moments later, Kara landed with a thump and flourish of cape inside of Lena Luthor’s office. 

"Lena?" she called as she looked around the darkened room. 

The office door opened and Lena’s assistant looked at her with a mix of shock, surprise, and annoyance all at once. 

"Supergirl," the woman began. "How did you...?" 

Kara gestured over her shoulder at the open window as if it should have been obvious. 

"Oh. Ms. Luthor isn’t in today," she explained, not looking at all apologetic. "Is there something I can do to help you?" 

Supergirl shook her head and frowned. 

"No, I guess not," she replied, storm clouds returning to her face. 

Before the assistant could reply, the superhero was gone, already soaring into the sky and away from L-Corp. 

*** 

Alex was going over protocols with a group of new recruits when she noticed the change in their attention. At least two new agents were looking past her and the rest either looked surprised or excited. She whirled around to see Supergirl walking through the DEO. 

She cleared her throat loudly and waited until the recruits all had their eyes back on her. 

"Yes, it’s Supergirl," she said flatly and sighed. "Dismissed. Just go." 

The recruits hurried off, not noticing how the director’s voice had gone from authoritative and instructional to exhausted and annoyed. Alex turned again in time to see Kara attempting to edge past her towards the laboratory space Lena had been using, and she hurried after her. 

"Kara," she whispered and grabbed her sister’s shoulder, stopping her progress and spinning her around so they were face to face. "What are you doing here?" 

"Outta the way, Alex. I’m looking for Lena," Kara replied and tried to slip the DEO Director’s grip. She sounded out of breath and her words were rushed. 

"Has something happened?" Alex asked, worry creasing her brow. 

"She’s not home, she’s not at her office. Is she here?" Kara said. She looked around the room, craning her neck to see passed her sister in an effort to spot her friend. 

Alex sighed again and pinched the bridge of her nose as she cast her glance towards the ceiling as if asking Rao to give her strength. 

"Kara," she said, dragging out the syllables. "Stop." 

"No, it’s not like that," she insisted. "I had an argument with Andrea and I went to Lena’s office. _I know, what you said_, but she wasn’t there, so I went to her penthouse. It’s empty Alex." 

Alex held up a hand. 

"Wait. What do you mean it’s empty?" 

"She’s not there," Kara explained. "Her stuff is there but she’s not. There’s broken glass all over the floor and her bedroom looks like it was ransacked." 

Alex closed her eyes. This was a little different from Kara panicking about her best friend not returning her text. She scrubbed a hand over her face. 

"You’re sure?" 

Kara put her hands on her hips and fixed Alex with a no-nonsense stare. 

"I’m not stupid, Alex, and I’m not overreacting." 

"I’m sorry!" Alex cried. "I didn’t mean to imply... Okay, let’s talk to Brainy. Maybe he can run a search of all Lena’s properties. She might have just gone out of town." 

Kara shook her head and was about to protest, but Alex put a hand on her arm, directing her towards the exit. 

"We’ll find her," Alex assured her. 

Supergirl sighed as she drew herself back up. 

"I’ll fly around the globe, then," she said. "If Lena’s been taken, I can find her." 

"Good," Alex said, gently pushing her towards the door before turning towards where Brainy was hunched over his desk, eyes on a screen. "I know you were listening. Think you can run a search and find Lena before Supergirl loses her mind?" 

*** 

Kara circled the globe. Twice. She was about to make a third trip just to be sure, when Alex used her signal watch to bring her back to the DEO. 

"Did you find her?" Kara demanded as she approached Alex and Brainy. 

Alex was standing over Brainy’s computers with her arms crossed. She looked up at the sound of her sister's voice. 

"Well that answers our question," Alex said. "No luck?" 

"No," Kara admitted defeated. "I circled twice. Did you guys find something?" 

"If by ‘something’ you mean did I compile a list of properties owned by Lena and the Luthor family, then yes, I found something," Brainy said, pulling up a list of Luthor-owned properties on his computer. 

Kara rushed over and studied the three-page list silently. 

"That’s a big list," she said finally. 

"Indeed," Brainy continued. "Eighty-four properties to be exact, and these are just the properties within a 200-mile radius. If you’d like, I could expand the radius to include another 112 properties within a 500-mile radius." 

"Eighty-four?" Kara repeated. She looked to Alex. "I’ll head out now. I can search them all and be back —" 

"Wait, Kara," she said. "Brainy found a house about 120 miles from here near Montecito. It used to belong to Lex." 

"So? Lena wouldn't go there. She doesn’t want anything to do with Lex, and if she was there, I would have found her already. I circled the globe, Alex. Twice. I can’t even pick up on her heartbeat," Kara said and crossed her arms over her chest. "Besides, why are we even looking at Luthor properties? If she was kidnapped, she could be anywhere. We should be looking in Gotham or Central City or Metropolis, or, well, anywhere!" 

Alex put a hand on her sister’s forearm and squeezed lightly. 

"Right," she said patiently. "You circled twice and can’t find her heartbeat. Brainy pulled the plans for Lex’s house. It’s lined with lead and the whole thing is basically a Faraday cage. If she’s there, that’s why she’s not answering your texts. Her phone wouldn’t have a signal. If Lena doesn’t want to be found this would be a good place to hide out." 

"That’s ridiculous." 

Alex raised an eyebrow in silent rebuttal, and Kara dropped her arms to her sides, letting them swing awkwardly for a moment while she thought about this. 

"Fine," Kara said. "I’ll go to Montecito and check it out." 

Alex shook her head again and stepped closer so that their conversation wouldn’t be overheard. 

"No," she said firmly. "If Lena is hiding, she's hiding from you. She’s hiding from Supergirl." 

"What? No, she’s not." 

"I’ll go, Kara," Alex said. "If Lena’s there, I’ll talk to her and find out what’s going on —" 

"And if she’s not there?" Kara interrupted. 

"Then I’ll let you circle the globe again." 

*** 

Alex cut the engine of her Ducati, pulled her helmet off, and looked around. The house and grounds were nothing like she’d envisioned. Everything about the house and the lawn screamed "Welcome to Middle Class Suburbia." She half expected to see someone washing a minivan in front of the garage. She hopped off her bike and walked purposefully to the front door. 

The doorbell gave five melodic chimes and Alex took the opportunity to check out the front of the house. From a distance, the house looked completely commonplace. Up close, however, Alex couldn’t help but notice that the windows looked _off_. Something about them just didn’t look right. She pressed the doorbell again and then used her fist to pound on the door. 

"Come on, Lena," Alex muttered under her breath. It’d been a nearly two-hour ride from National City to Lex’s house and she was grateful to be standing, but if Lena wasn’t there, she wanted to turn around and head home before it got dark or before Supergirl decided to land on the front lawn and kick down the door. 

When Lena didn’t answer the bell or her repeated pounding on the door, Alex heaved a sigh and jammed her hands into the pockets of her leather jacket. She started away from the front door, walking around the house and attempting to look in the windows. 

"What is up with these windows?" she asked and leaned closer to them, cupping her hands around her eyes to peer inside. When her hands touched what should have been glass, she pulled away and stared. She ran a hand over the smooth painted surface, realizing that the windows weren’t really windows. They’d simply been painted on. "Unbelievable." 

Alex made a full circuit of the house’s exterior looking for anyway in. As she continued to walk, she realized that none of the windows were real and the idea of climbing in through one was now off the table. She reached the front of the house and was about to try the door once again when she noticed the gap between the garage door and the driveway. Someone had opened it recently. 

It took a couple of tries, but Alex was able to force the door up just enough so she could scoot underneath it. If there was any question that Lena Luthor had made the 120-mile trip to her brother’s house, one look at the car stashed in the garage silenced them. Alex’s breath caught in her throat. It wasn’t everyday she was this close to a $300,00 car, let alone a Bentley Mulsanne. She ran her hand lovingly over the perfectly polished black velvet hood and made a mental note to ask Lena if she could take it for a spin sometime. The Bentley wasn’t necessarily a fast car, but the ride was supposed to be incredible. 

Tearing her gaze away, Alex headed towards the door leading into the house. She tried the knob, full expecting to have to break in, but it turned easily and Alex stepped into a small breezeway leading to a large gourmet-equipped kitchen. 

"Lena?" she called as she cautiously walked through the kitchen. The house was so quiet she wondered if maybe the car didn't belong to Lena and had been left behind by Lex. 

She continued through the house, calling Lena’s name. Despite the fake windows, the exterior of Lex’s house was the image of normal. Inside, however, Alex was struck by how extravagant it was. She closed the door to a study and crossed the hall to another room when she heard a thud coming from the other end of the hallway. 

"Lena?" she asked again, grabbing for the pistol strapped to her hip and heading towards the noise. "Lena? It’s Alex. Danvers." 

She pushed the door at the end of the hall open with the barrel of her gun and did a quick visual sweep of the room. Lena Luthor sat facing a large flat screen TV mounted above a fireplace with a bottle of Scotch in her hand. The TV was off, but Lena didn’t seem to hear the door open or notice as Alex moved slowly into the room. 

"Lena?" Alex tried again, but the CEO didn’t react to her. She brought the bottle to her lips and took a long pull. "Hey, you okay?" 

Lena didn’t respond and Alex holstered her gun and crossed the room. She crouched down in front of the other woman and realized exactly what she was seeing. 

The sophisticated and always put together Lena Luthor had drunken herself into a blind stupor. Her hair that was usually pulled back into a tight ponytail was disheveled and... oh my Rao. Were those sweatpants? 

Alex stared at the gray sweatpants. Sure, they were probably some fancy designer brand and they probably cost more than her monthly rent, but Lena Luthor was wearing sweatpants. She actually _owned_ sweatpants.The agent reached out and plucked the bottle of Scotch from her hands and set it far away from them. 

"Lena," she said softly. 

The CEO seemed to come back to herself and her eyes tried to focus on Alex. It would have been easier to focus if she wasn’t seeing two, no three, of the agent. 

"Alex?" she asked. Lena reached a hand up and put it to Alex’s face, laying her graceful fingers along her cheek and lightly cupping her chin to hold her face still. "Why are there three of you? What are you doing here?" 

"That’s funny. I was going to ask you the same thing," Alex said. She was momentarily distracted by the way Lena’s fingers were stroking her cheek. Even though her eyes were largely unfocused, Alex was transfixed by Lena’s brilliant green eyes. She’d never been this close to her to notice how incredible they were. She licked her lips and refocused on the reason she was there. "Are you okay?" 

Lena suddenly let go of Alex’s face and her eyes narrowed. 

"Director Danvers," she said as if seeing Alex for the first time. 

Alex nodded. 

"We were worried about you," she explained. 

Lena looked away. Alex was lying to her. That’s what Kara and her friends did best, they lied to her. No one was missing Lena Luthor. In order to miss her, they’d have to care about her, and if they cared about her, they never would have lied to her in the first place. 

"Thank you for coming to find me, but I assure you it was unnecessary," Lena said flatly, her words slurring slightly. "I’m sorry you drove all the way out here for nothing." 

"I didn’t come out here for nothing," Alex assured her. "We were worried. Kara went to your penthouse and saw broken glass all over the floor. We were afraid something happened." 

Lena struggled out of the chair, and Alex stood up with her. She caught her around the waist as the CEO swayed on her feet and threatened to fall over. 

"Okay, let’s get you back into the chair," Alex said, guiding Lena back into a sitting position.

Once she had the younger woman situated, Alex reached for a nearby ottoman and dragged it in front of Lena. She sat down and waited for Lena to say something. It was a little weird being on this end of a drunken bender, and she couldn’t help but wonder if this is what she was like.

The CEO broke the silence after several long, awkward minutes. She licked her lips and looked around for the bottle she just realized was missing from her hands. 

"Can I ask you something?" she asked. 

"Sure." 

"And you won’t lie to me?" 

"I’d never lie to you," Alex replied. 

Lena raised an eyebrow and tilted her head, her mouth falling open slightly in disbelief. 

"Never?" 

Alex sighed. 

"It wasn’t my secret to tell," she said. "I never actually lied. I just never told you." 

Lena seemed to consider this for a minute. She finally gave a short appraising nod but didn’t say anything more. She stared at Alex for a few minutes before her eyes drooped and closed. Alex waited for Lena to start talking again but after a few minutes she realized she’d fallen asleep. 

She watched the steady rise and fall of her chest and tried to decide what to do. When she’d set off to find Lena, she never thought she’d find her like this. Alex wasn’t sure if she’d ever seen the other woman drunk before, and a wave of guilt washed over her. It was their fault that Lena was like this. Lena hadn’t said much, but she’d said enough. While she may have claimed there were no problems between them, Alex knew that wasn’t true. The secret Kara had kept from Lena had done more damage than her sister could possibly know. 

Alex reached for Lena and picked her up in a bridal carry, lifting her up out of the chair and turning towards the doorway. Drunk or not, she couldn’t let her friend sleep in a chair. She carried Lena down the hall, ducking into room after room, searching for a bedroom. Lena snuggled into her chest as Alex finally found the bedroom and moved to set the unconscious woman onto the bed. She pulled the blankets back and eased Lena underneath them, finally freeing her arms. Alex turned to leave when she heard Lena’s voice. 

"Alex?" 

The agent turned back and saw Lena watching her from one barely open eye. 

"Yeah, Lena." 

"Stay with me?" 

Alex hesitated at the door. 

"Please? I thought I wanted to be alone, but, please. Stay with me," Lena pleaded. 

Alex nodded and returned to the bed. She sat on the edge of it and Lena shifted to make room. 

"Alex," she said and reached for her. Lena grabbed tightly onto Alex’s arm and pulled her close, snuggling against her. "Thank you for coming for me." 


	3. A Hallucination and A Confession

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys rock. Seriously. 
> 
> I might take a couple days off before chapter four. I need to figure out where I'm heading with this. I've got a vague idea, but...

Alex couldn't move. While they slept, Lena Luthor had latched onto her like a koala, wrapping one arm around her waist and the other around her shoulders, trapping Alex's arm underneath her body. Right now, the trapped limb was somewhere in the land between extreme numbness and extreme pain. She tried to ease away from the sleeping woman beside her, gently prying herself free from her grasp and edging her arm out from under Lena's side. Finally free, Alex slipped off the bed and went in search of the bathroom and then coffee. 

_No, _Alex thought as she opened the door leading to a small guest bathroom. _Bathroom and then I __hafta__ c__all Kara__ and _then_ coffee_. 

She should have called her last night before Lena caught her in the world's most awkward unconscious bear hug, but she didn't really have the chance what with Lena passing out and then latching on almost immediately. Alex knew Kara was probably flipping out and preparing to start up a new search, this time for her sister and best friend. 

Alex splashed some water on her face, ran a hand through her hair, and checked her appearance. She'd slept in her skinny jeans and leather jacket, and her whole body felt tight and stiff. She stretched a few times, twisting and turning at the waist until her back let out a series of loud but satisfying pops. 

"Coffee," she mumbled sleepily and took herself back down to the kitchen in search of her morning caffeine fix. 

The cabinets in Lex's kitchen were mostly empty and what was there had long since expired. It seemed like it had been a long time since anyone had used the house, but the lack of dust and the perfectly maintained lawn made Alex wonder if there was a caretaker. Not that it much mattered, she supposed. 

The agent stole a glance at a nearby clock. Maybe if Lena woke up soon she could convince her to go for coffee and maybe even breakfast. Maybe they could go in that fancy car of hers. But first... 

Alex dug her phone from her pocket and was momentarily surprised to see she had no signal. 

"Faraday cage," she reminded herself with a sigh and headed towards the front door. As soon as she was through the door her signal jumped to five bars. She hesitated before tapping her sister’s contact and waged an internal debate if it was better to call or text. _Call_, she decided. If she texted, the chance Supergirl just appeared on the front lawn tripled. 

*** 

Kara was asleep when her phone began vibrating next to her on the bed. She’d waited all night for Alex to call with news — any news — about Lena. The call never came and eventually she fell asleep with her phone in hand. Some time in the night she dropped it and now it buzzed near her ear. 

“Alex?!” Kara said by way of greeting. “Is everything okay? Did you find her?” 

“Good morning to you, too,” came the familiar voice on the other end of the call. “Everything's fine. I found her.” 

Kara jumped off her bed and started towards her closet. She could change and be there in less than two minutes. 

“Okay, I’m on my way.” 

“Kara, no,” Alex said, remembering the way Lena had looked at her the night before when Alex swore she'd never lie to her. “Don’t.” 

“What do you mean ‘don’t’?” Kara asked in mid grab for a sweater, her enthusiasm faltering slightly. “Is she okay?” 

Alex didn't respond immediately and tried to think of the best answer. Lena was physically fine, but she wasn't okay. She wasn't sure if her sister would understand that. 

“I think she really needs time and space,” Alex said simply and then had to pull the phone away from her ear, Kara’s voice was so loud. 

“What does that even mean, Alex?” she demanded. “You keep telling me to give her space. What is going on?” 

“Ow, Kara. Loud. Okay, Lena is technically fine,” the elder sister admitted. “She just… She’s drunk. She came out here and got drunk. Really drunk. I haven’t really had a chance to talk to her. She passed out, but she didn't seem like she was in the best place.” 

Silence greeted this news. 

“Kara? You there?” 

Kara nodded and sat heavily on her bed. She realized Alex couldn't see her non-verbal response and cleared her throat before responding. 

“Is it because…” She trailed off, unable to say the words. _Is it because I didn't tell her? _Saying those words would make it more real. Keeping her identity as Supergirl a secret from Lena for so long had cost her best friend. 

“I think so,” Alex confirmed quietly, but then continued on quickly. “She’s still asleep but I didn't want you to worry. I’m gonna stay here with her for a while. Just to make sure she’s okay, maybe I can get her to talk.” 

Kara swallowed hard as tears pricked her eyes. 

“Thanks, Alex.” 

She disconnected the call without waiting for a response and let the phone fall from her fingers. Lena had fled National City because of her. 

*** 

_This must be what it's like to get hit by a train_, Lena thought as she slowly opened her eyes and looked around the room. She couldn't remember actually going to bed, but that's where she was, lying in a bed. The room was too bright, and she was grateful Lex hadn't installed actual windows. The bright light from the morning sun would have been too much for her pounding head. 

Lena sat up and shoved the blankets away. Her head thudded with each movement and she brought both hands to massage her temples as she squeezed her eyes closed and tried to remember the previous evening. 

The timeline of events was shaky at best. Lena remembered arriving at Lex's house, opting against sleeping in the master bedroom — _too many ghosts— _and opting for a smaller guest room just down the hall. There had been a short exploration of the nearby rooms until... oh. The bar. 

Lex's den was really nothing more than a glorified bar. Yes, he'd included a large television screen and movie theater quality projection equipment, but it was the bar that took up most of the space in the room. When Lena stumbled on it, she found it well-stocked with several bottles of Macallan and Glenlivet. She'd been quite partial to the Glenmorangie 18 single malt. That much she remembered. Though she'd started out pouring it into a rocks glass, Lena had a fleeting memory of drinking straight from the bottle. Her face flushed crimson, embarrassed to have drank any liquor, let alone a fine Scotch, straight from the bottle. At least no one had seen her. 

"Alex..." Lena whispered. Her hands dropped from her temples and fell into her lap. Had she dreamed it? Did Alex Danvers actually show up at Lex's house? 

Lena set her jaw and tried to think. She'd gone into the den, grabbed the Glenmorangie from the bar, filled a glass and retreated to a comfortable arm chair. She'd been thinking about Supergirl and Kara and how she and all of her friends and family had lied to her for years. Somewhere in there, Lena had begun to blame herself for not seeing what had been so plainly right in front of her. The rest was hazy, but she had a very vague memory of someone taking the bottle out of her hands, picking her up, and carrying her into the bedroom. 

No. Not possible. Lena had left National City and gone somewhere that no one would find her. Supergirl's x-ray vision couldn't penetrate the walls and her cell phone couldn't be tracked thanks to the silver mesh that surrounded the home. There was no way anyone had found her. It was a hallucination brought on from excessive alcohol. 

Lena blew out a long slow breath and pulled herself out of bed. She needed to find some aspirin and drink about 10 gallons of water. 

A quick search of both the master bathroom and the guest bathroom yielded nothing in the way of painkillers and Lena cursed under her breath for not thinking about packing any. Of course, when she left her penthouse, she hadn't intended to get so drunk she'd be nursing a hangover.

Lena returned to the bedroom and tossed her suitcase onto the bed. She rummaged through it for something more suitable for a Luthor to appear in public wearing. Sweatpants were most decidedly inappropriate for anywhere outside of a sick ward. She yanked on a pair of dark blue jeans, tossed a black blazer over her red tank top, and grabbed her purse from the side table before slowly making her way downstairs. When she reached the bottom step, she began digging in her purse for her car keys, but stopped when she caught movement from her peripheral vision. 

Alex Danvers was most certainly not a hallucination. The DEO's director was sitting on a stool in the kitchen, glass of water in her hands. 

"I was going to make coffee, but there's less in these cabinets than I have at home," she explained with a shrug and slid another glass of water towards Lena. "You should probably drink that." 

Lena didn't move towards the water. She blinked hard and stared at Alex for a minute. 

"You're here," she said when the vision of Alex didn't disappear. 

"Yup," Alex replied. 

The CEO snapped out of it then and took the glass of water. She sipped at it but her thirst got the better of her and she gulped it down in two swallows. Alex took the empty glass from her and refilled it at the tap. Lena took a smaller sip and gave the other woman a small nod of thanks. The director's face was expressionless as she watched her. 

"This probably sounds silly, but I thought I'd dreamed you were here," Lena said, forcing a small laugh and polite smile. 

"Not silly," Alex replied and took another drink from her own glass. "You were pretty drunk last night when I got here." 

Lena barked a laugh and ignored the way the sudden outburst sent another thunderclap of pain through her skull. 

"I was not drunk," Lena insisted. 

Alex shrugged. 

"Not judging." 

Lena didn't say anything for a minute. Her mind raced as she tried to put more pieces from the previous evening together. She'd been sitting in the den, drinking Scotch, and... _Alex Danvers had shown up. _

"Why are you here?" Lena asked, not meaning to actually vocalize the question, but the bluntness of it didn't seem to faze Alex. 

"I told you," she said. "We were worried. Kara went to your apartment and found glass all over the floor. She said your bedroom looked like it had been ransacked —" 

"I dropped a glass," Lena interrupted. "And I left in a hurry. I couldn't... well, I couldn't be there anymore." 

Alex nodded. 

"You needed some space," she said with an understanding tilt of her head. "Kara kept texting, and you needed to not be there. I get it." 

Lena blinked in surprise. Alex had simplified things and left out the big pit of hurt and anger that had come to live in her stomach, but yes, that was the bulk of it. 

"Y-yes," she stammered. "She told me about Supergirl." 

"I know." 

Lena recovered and narrowed her eyes. Yes, everyone was so worried about Lena, but where were they? The only person she saw was her former best friend’s sister, and Alex was only there out of obligation. 

“If Kara was so worried, where is she? Why didn't Supergirl come?” Lena demanded, green eyes flashing. 

“I told her to leave you alone, that Supergirl was probably the last person you wanted to see.” 

“Why you?” 

Alex shrugged. 

“I thought maybe you could use a friendly face,” she said. “When Kara said you were gone, I worried, too.” 

Silence filled the room until Alex spoke again. 

"Were you leaving?" she asked, gesturing with her chin at Lena's purse. 

Lena shook her head. 

"I have a headache. Oh, let's just call it what it is. It's a hangover. I have a hangover. A terrible one. And my brother, although he has every bottle of Scotch worth owning, does not have a single bottle of aspirin. I was going out to pick some up," she replied and then paused briefly before continuing, Alex's comment about a friendly face finally registering. She really _could _use a friend, and if Alex Danvers was offering, Lena didn't think she was in any position to turn one away. "Since there's no coffee, would you like to get breakfast with me? There's a lovely diner not far." 

Alex smiled both at the invitation and the phrase "lovely diner." She wasn't sure those words had ever been paired together before. 

"You'll have to drive," Alex said, getting up. 

Lena cocked a questioning eyebrow. 

"I rode my motorcycle here," she explained. "I only have one helmet with me." 

That was true. She hadn't planned on taking any passengers, and while she had a hard time picturing Lena Luthor straddling her Ducati, Alex was more interested in taking the Bentley out. Although the thought of Lena sitting behind her on the bike with both arms wrapped around her waist sent a slight shiver racing down her spine. 

"Fair enough," Lena said and reached into her purse, finally finding her keys. "You're buying though." 

Alex followed Lena through the short breezeway out to the garage. 

"Me?" she asked as she went around to the passenger side of the luxury car. "You're like a billionaire. Are you really saying you can't afford a couple cups of coffee and a plate of eggs?" 

Lena smiled at Alex over the roof of the car. She shook her head. Her initial instinct was to reply with something about being an uninvited guest, but instead a small laugh escaped her and a different response came out of her mouth. 

"I've seen you Danvers women eat before," she teased. 

*** 

The plate of eggs Alex suggested turned into one plate of two over-easy eggs, four slices of bacon, four sausage links, and two biscuits covered in gravy, and a second plate with a stack of three buttermilk pancakes drowning in syrup. She immediately set to work with her fork and knife, shoveling forkfuls of food into her mouth rapidly while Lena watched in abject horror. 

"Where do you put that much food?" she asked. "I couldn't even _try_ to eat that much. I’d be ill.” 

"What?" Alex said, her mouth full of eggs. "It's good!" 

Lena shook her head and took a bite of her own breakfast, a much more sensible omelet. 

"Besides, you try growing up with Kara," she laughed. "You eat fast and you eat a lot or you don't eat at all." 

"Supergirl really can eat, can't she?" Lena replied bitterly, looking back down at her plate. She'd suddenly lost her appetite. 

Alex shrugged and took a long swallow of her coffee. She studied Lena for a moment. 

"Are you okay?" she asked finally. 

Lena considered the question and pursed her lips slightly. 

"Did you always know about Kara?" she asked. "About, well, you know." 

Alex took another bite of pancake and shook her head. 

"I was an only child until I was, oh, 14, I guess," she explained. "Kara, well, Kal-El, Clark, I mean —" 

"Superman?" 

Alex nodded and continued as if this was the most normal conversation in the world. 

"Yeah, he brought her to live with us after her pod crashed," she said. "But she was just a weird kid who had powers. I didn't know she was going to become, well, Supergirl." 

"But you've always known she wasn't human?" 

Alex shrugged. 

"I guess," she said. She set her fork down suddenly and turned a serious face to Lena. "Well, no. That’s not right. I didn’t always know she was Supergirl. J'onn erased my mind." 

Lena blinked in surprise and set her own fork down before she could drop it. 

"What?" 

Alex nodded and continued eating as if she'd just made a casual comment on the weather. 

“Colonel Haley was trying to figure out who Supergirl was. The only way I could protect her was if I didn't know.” 

Lena picked her fork up again and took a thoughtful bite of her omelet. 

“I didn't know that,” she said. “And Kara didn't tell you?” 

“She couldn’t. Eventually the memories just came back, but for a while I had no idea. I didn't even like Supergirl very much. Definitely didn't trust her. I'm pretty sure I was a real jerk to her,” Alex said, finishing the stack of pancakes and picking up a piece of bacon with her fingers. “I know she's Supergirl. She’s literally a superhero. She’s bulletproof and she can fly and she can eat her weight in potstickers, but it’s still dangerous for Kara. Not all people like aliens.” 

“You mean people like Lex.” 

Alex didn't respond, but her silence was enough. 

Lena studied Kara’s older sister. She was still clad in her leather jacket, but her badge and gun were nowhere to be seen. Even without them, she looked every bit the protector she was. She’d protected Kara for years, and now, Lena supposed, Alex was there to protect her. 

“So, you had your mind wiped to protect her?” 

Another shrug. 

“She’s my sister,” Alex said. “I’d do anything to protect her.” 

“Even come all the way out here to plead her case? Lena asked sardonically. 

Alex sighed and set her fork down. 

“That's not why I’m here, Lena.” 

Lena raised her perfectly shaped eyebrow again but said nothing. 

“It’s not! I know you think no one cares about you, that you're just another Luthor, but I know that's not true,” Alex told her earnestly. “I came here, and I stayed here, because I think you could use a friend.” 

“And you're offering to be my friend? How _very _white knight of you.” 

Alex slapped her hand down on the table top, rattling the dishes and drawing the attention of nearby diners. 

“It’s not anything of me,” she said in mild exasperation. “I’m here because you’re my friend—” 

Lena snorted a laugh, but Alex continued. 

“You’re my friend and you’re hurting,” she said and picked her fork up. She stabbed angrily at the remaining sausage on her plate and then pointed at Lena with it. Her voice was quieter. “If you don’t need a friend or you don’t want my friendship, that's okay, but I won’t leave you out here to drink yourself into oblivion while feeling sorry for yourself.” 

The younger woman shook her head and frowned. She sipped at her coffee and considered her words carefully. 

"I'm not drinking myself into oblivion and I'm not feeling sorry for myself." 

"Okay," Alex said and finished her breakfast. 

"I'm not," Lena insisted. 

"Okay." 

"Alex," Lena said, tilting her head slightly. 

"You said you're not," Alex said. "So, you're not." 

Lena held Alex's gaze for a beat and then shook her head and smiled slightly. She looked back down at the omelet she couldn't finish. 

"You're really here to make sure I'm okay?" 

"Yup." 

"Not because you pity me?" 

Alex rolled her eyes. 

"Please," she said and flashed a big smile. "You're Lena Luthor. Yeah, your family is... well, the Luthors, but you're brilliant and absolutely gorgeous and like a bajillionaire. I only pity you for not being able to finish your breakfast! Mine was delicious!" 

Lena pushed her plate over to Alex and tried to keep a blush from rising on her cheeks. It had to be her imagination, but it almost sounded like the director was flirting with her. 

"I don't know how you eat like that." 

"Hey, Kara's got her super powers and this is mine," Alex replied with a mouthful of omelet. 

Lena laughed, her smile reaching her eyes for the first time since leaving National City. When she'd packed her suitcase and started driving away from her penthouse and the city, Lena thought what she wanted was to be alone, but being alone had only made her feel worse. Alex Danvers, however, had made her smile and laugh. It was unexpected. They'd never spent much time together. Alex was always just part of the package that came with being friends with Kara, but Lena thought they could be friends. It wouldn't be the worst thing. 

"Thanks for coming to check on me," Lena said without thinking. "I left because it hurt. Kara, everyone keeping this giant secret from me for all this time. I was angry. I'm a Luthor. People think I'm like my mother, like Lex, and I thought Kara didn't tell me —" 

"Because you're a Luthor?" Alex finished. "Kara didn't tell you because she didn't know how." 

"I know." 

Lena took a deep breath and smiled. She grabbed for the bill as the server set it down. 

"You know what? I think I'll get this," she said, setting her American Express black card down on top of the paper check. 

Alex frowned. 

"What?" Lena asked, suddenly concerned that she'd somehow offended the agent. 

"I thought I was paying," she explained sadly. "If I'd known you were gonna pay I could have gotten the bigger breakfast." 


	4. Reset

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep saying it, but you guys are too much. Your comments and kudos make my cold, dead heart soar. Thank you a million times over.

Lena parked her Bentley behind Alex's Ducati in the circular drive and sighed as she looked back at the house she'd escaped to. She let both hands rest on the steering wheel and thought about all the reasons she'd run in the first place. They seemed ridiculous now. She was a grown woman, the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar corporation, and she'd run away because her friend hadn't been 100% truthful with her. It wasn't like Lena had always been truthful with _her_. She thought about the Kryptonite and Harun-El she'd synthesized and the fight with Supergirl that followed. Maybe if Kara had trusted her with her secret, she wouldn't have made it or she wouldn't have kept it from her. Lena was certain she wouldn't do anything that would hurt her friend intentionally. 

"You okay?" Alex asked, watching Lena carefully from the passenger seat. 

"Yes," Lena sighed and smiled faintly. "I'm okay. I was just thinking." 

Alex raised an eyebrow. 

"About?" 

"Going home, ghosts, demons" she said. "There are more demons here than waiting for me in National City." 

"You know don't have to go back just because I have to," Alex said. 

Lena looked away from the house to her passenger. 

"You're leaving?" 

Alex shrugged. 

"Honestly?" 

Lena nodded. 

"Please." 

"I never planned on staying," Alex replied. "I came to look for you but I didn't expect... I didn't expect to find you like this. I stayed because you asked me to." 

"I did?" 

"Yeah, and then you grabbed on and I couldn't leave—” 

“Oh no. Did I spoon you or something? I am so sorry, Alex.” 

“No. It was more of a bear hug,” Alex replied with a slight smile. 

Lena turned three shades of red and looked away. Had she been sober, she’d never have done that. If they were dating, it would have been different, but the director was her best friend’s sister and it wasn't like that anyway. Yes, she was, of course, attracted to the senior Danvers sister; she'd be blind and crazy not to be, but she was certain Alex didn't think of her that way. Maybe a short flirtation had passed between them earlier, but it was nothing. She hoped she hadn’t crossed a line. 

Alex waved a dismissive hand. 

“Don’t worry about it. There are way worse people to share a bed with. Kara kicks,” she said. “Anyway, I didn't really pack for an extended stay." She gestured to her current outfit. "This is it." 

Lena eyed the sleek black motorcycle parked ahead of them. Of course, Alex hadn't brought anything with her. It wasn't like her bike had a luggage rack. Part of Lena was disappointed while the other half was flattered. Alex had ridden 120 miles one way just to check on her. No one had ever gone that far out of their way for her before. 

"You could borrow something," Lena said, her mouth once again moving on its own accord before her brain could catch up. "If you wanted to stay longer, I mean." 

Alex laughed. 

"Yeah, can you picture me in Armani?" she said, once she'd regained control of herself. 

The CEO shook her head, unbuckled her seatbelt, and climbed out of the car. She frowned at Alex as she rounded the front of the car and headed to the front door. 

"I don't know," she said, stopping to unlock the door. She turned to face Alex and ran her hands down the other woman's arms, smoothing the leather sleeves and tugging the waist of her jacket down towards her belt buckle to create a more tailored look. "I think you'd look amazing in an Armani suit." 

It felt like Lena's hands lingered at her waist for an eternity, and Alex swallowed hard. It'd only been a short, innocent interaction, maybe just a few seconds, but goosebumps broke out on Alex's arms and the hair at the back of her neck stood at attention. Lena released the jacket's waist and unlocked the door, ushering Alex inside and then following behind. 

"Maybe," Alex replied, recovering from the pause that seemed altogether too awkward in her head. "But I don't think it would look good on my wallet." 

"Perhaps not," Lena agreed. “You really have to go?” 

“Yeah. I’ve gotta get back to the DEO,” she explained, nodding her head back to the door. “But you? You should stay if being here is what you need.” 

“No,” Lena said decisively and gave the room a thoughtful once over. “I think I’ve gotten all I needed from this place. Besides, I have work waiting for me, too. I can’t hide forever. God only knows the emails waiting in my inbox.” 

Alex put her hands in her back pockets and looked around awkwardly. 

“Is there anything I can do? Anything you need help with?” 

Lena stopped at the foot of the stairs with her hand resting on the banister. She gave Alex an appraising look. 

“You’ve done enough,” she said. “Honestly. No one… no one has ever gone out of their way like this for me before.” 

Alex felt her cheeks grow hot and she blushed. 

“It was no big deal,” she said quietly. 

“It’s a big deal to me,” Lena replied. She turned on the stairs and came back to stand in front of the agent. She didn't know what it was about Alex or how her roiling anger had all but disappeared, but she was thankful for her. Very few people looked beyond the Luthor name and saw the woman behind it. Alex had. And though Lena had initially thought her friend’s sister was there to fulfill some sense of duty, she now saw that there was more to it than that. “I’m going to pack and clean up a little. I’ll be back in National City tonight. Tell Kara not to worry.” 

Alex nodded and gave her a somber smile. 

“I will,” she replied. “But I can’t guarantee she won’t be waiting on your balcony when you get there.” 

*** 

Kara leaned forward on Alex's couch and grabbed for a slice of pizza. The TV was cued up with the latest episode of _The Crown_ and she waited to hit play while Alex came in from the kitchen with drinks in hand. 

"Have you heard from her?" she asked as Alex settled on the couch next to her. 

"Who?" Alex asked as she grabbed for a corner of the blanket and pulled it over her lap. "Lena?" 

"No, the Easter Bunny," Kara retorted and took another bite of her pizza. "Of course Lena. She's back, isn't she?" 

"Yeah, came back the same day I did," she replied and reached for her own slice of pizza. The pizza had only arrived a few minutes earlier but the Kryptonian had already eaten half of it. "I think she's okay. I texted her earlier and she says she's swamped with work." 

Kara frowned and picked up the remote control. She ran her thumb over the play button but didn't press it yet. 

"You gonna hit play or what?" Alex asked. 

Kara set the remote back down and turned to face Alex. 

"She texted you back?" 

"Yeah." 

"So, she's okay?" 

"I said that," Alex said and took another bite of pizza. "She's fine, Kara." 

Kara thought about this for a moment and picked the remote up again. She aimed it at the tv and pressed play. It still bothered her that she hadn't heard anything from her friend, but she was glad that at least Alex had. Lena was talking to _someone_ even if it wasn't her and that was better than nothing. Still, she wished she'd at least get a text from her. She sat back with a slight sigh and turned her attention to the show, occasionally exchanging commentary with her sister. 

The sound of a phone buzzing against the glass top of the coffee table drew the attention of both Danvers sisters, but only one phone's screen lit up. Kara leaned forward to check just as her screen went dark again. She scooped up the device, powering the screen back on. Her breath hitched. 

One new message. 

"It's Lena," she said, not daring to look away as if by simply looking away, the message might disappear. 

"So?" 

"I can't look," Kara said, still not looking away. "Part of me wants to know what she has to say and the other part is afraid of what she might have to say." 

"Kara," Alex groaned and dropped her slice of pizza back into the box. She snatched the phone quickly from her sister's hands, activated the screen, and tapped on the message. 

"Alex!" Kara cried and tried to take the phone back as Alex got up and ran into the kitchen, putting the island between her and the younger Danvers. She scanned the message quickly and then tossed the phone back to its owner. 

"She wants to meet you for drinks," Alex said. 

Kara caught the phone easily and stared down at the message. Lena was inviting her for drinks. 

*** 

Lena was waiting at Noonan's for Kara. She'd commandeered a table in the corner of the room, far away from the boisterous crowd at the bar, and was sipping at a glass of Scotch. It was no Glenmorangie, but it was pleasant enough. Besides, she'd had enough Glenmorangie to last her a lifetime. The hangover after polishing off nearly half a bottle was something she wouldn't forget for a long time. 

She turned the glass idly on the table while keeping an eye on the door. She'd been halfway home from L-Corp when she pulled her phone out and texted Kara, inviting her for drinks. Her driver had turned around and was now parked in the alleyway behind the bar after depositing the CEO at the front door. 

Kara hadn't immediately returned her text, and Lena thought she'd made a mistake. She wasn't sure she was ready to sit down and talk with Kara, and maybe Kara felt the same way. But she had replied and now Lena waited. 

Lena saw Kara as soon as the door opened. She watched as her friend pushed through the doors and made her way through the throngs of people jockeying for the bartender's attention. She spotted Lena almost immediately and began bounding enthusiastically in her direction. About halfway there, however, she seemed to catch herself. Kara gave Lena a small wave and then gestured at the bar, taking a short detour to place an order. After several moments she continued her journey towards Lena's booth, glass of red wine in hand. 

"Hi," Kara said, raising her voice so she could be heard over the noisy bar. She gestured at the empty chairs. "Can I?" 

"Please," Lena replied and took a small sip of her Scotch. 

Neither woman spoke for a minute, Lena looking down at her drink and Kara fidgeting with her wine glass as she tried to build her courage to say something. Anything. 

"I'm sorry," the said simultaneously and then shared a grin. 

"What do you have to be sorry for?" Kara asked. "I'm the one who should be apologizing to you. I never meant to keep Supergirl a secret from you for so long. I just... when I met you, I couldn’t tell you and then we became friends and the longer we were friends and the more we hung out, the harder it became to tell you. And I didn't know how and... I'm really, really sorry, Lena." 

Lena took another sip of her drink and waved Kara's apology away. 

"I know," she said. "I have to tell you, Lex told me. About you. It was the last thing he told me." 

"He told you," Kara repeated. It wasn't a question. 

"To be honest, I was furious," Lena said matter-of-factly. "Here's Lex telling me something that my best friend should have told me a long time ago —" 

"Lena, I—" 

The CEO continued on as if Kara hadn't spoken. 

"And I just got trapped inside my head, thinking, if Kara could lie to me so convincingly for so long, what else has she lied to me about? And what about all of her friends? They must all know and I've been made a fool." 

"I never meant to make a fool of you," Kara pleaded. She felt tears start to well up in her eyes and blinked them back. "I just got too deep in and then it never felt like the right time." 

Lena nodded. 

"I know," she said. "Alex told me, and I've spent a lot of time thinking. I can't think about this anymore." 

Kara shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She didn’t know what to say anymore. Apologies felt insignificant, but it didn't seem like Lena was looking for apologies. 

"Okay," she said slowly. "What can I do? How can I make this right?" 

Lena finished her Scotch and raised a finger towards the bar, waiting for the bartender to look her way. He gave a nod and began setting up another round. 

"I want to hit the reset button," she said. "I know you're Supergirl now so no more secrets." 

"Absolutely," Kara agreed eagerly. "No more secrets. I don't want to keep anything from you." 


	5. Special Deliveries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I very rarely post back-to-back chapters in the same day. Please don't get use to it. I wrote chapter four and immediately dove into five. Six might take a day or two, but that's where we'll get a little deeper into this slowly developing relationship.

Since returning from Lex's house, Lena had been busy trying to play catch-up. She'd only been gone for 36 hours, but it was 36 hours too many. Her emails had piled up and she had no fewer than 20 voicemails waiting for her response. Aside from meeting with Kara at Noonan's to reset their friendship, Lena had barely left her office since returning to National City. 

The door to her office opened and Lena looked up. She was on a conference call, but waved Jess into the room as she quietly chewed a mouthful of her kale salad. Her assistant carried a small package and waited for Lena to put the call on mute. 

"This just arrived from a courier," she said and set the package down on the edge of her desk. "The delivery man said it was urgent." 

"Thank you," Lena said, and disengaged the mute button, returning her attention to the call and her salad as Jess quietly left the office. 

Lena eyed the package curiously. She wasn't expecting any deliveries and a quick look at the shipping label yielded no clues. The sender's name wasn't familiar, but that wasn't unusual. Lena received dozens of packages and envelopes daily from organizations seeking funding from L-Corp's charitable arm in addition to stacks of hate mail. Still, the package was curious. Those funding requests rarely came by way of private courier and they even more rarely came marked urgent. She finally pushed her salad away and grabbed for the scissors in her top drawer. Lena cradled the phone receiver between her ear and shoulder, using the open scissors to slice through the tape holding the package closed. 

A single vial was surrounded by a thick cushion of bubble wrap and Lena took it out of the box. She held it at eye level and examined it closely. The liquid inside was a pale blue shade and as she tapped the side of the vial with a single manicured fingernail, the contents didn't slosh against the sides as expected. Instead it held a solid appearance. Lena set it back in its pillow of bubble wrap and removed a single sheet of folded paper. 

Her eyes darkened as she read the typed letter. 

"I have to go," she said into the phone, and let the receiver drop from her shoulder. 

*** 

Alex Danvers stepped off the elevator at Lena's office at L-Corp with Vasquez in tow and Jess immediately sprang out of her chair to greet them. She hurried to her boss' office door and pushed it open for them. 

"Ms. Luthor is expecting you," she said as she stepped aside to allow them to enter. 

Lena was sitting at her desk, the vial and letter laid out in front of her. She glanced up as the door opened but did a doubletake when she realized that it wasn't an officer from NCPD. The DEO had seemingly intercepted her call. 

"Alex," she said surprised and then quickly recovered. "Director Danvers, I didn't expect to see the DEO here" 

"We intercepted the call," Alex admitted. "What's happened?" 

Lena got up from her desk and gestured to the vial and note, inviting Alex to look more closely. 

"I was on a conference call and Jess brought this in. She said it came by courier," Lena explained. "It's most definitely not something I was expecting." 

Alex picked up the vial and examined it closely. It didn't look like anything she'd ever seen before and she passed it wordlessly to Vasquez for her to look at before gingerly picking up the single typewritten page and reading it. The note, barely 100 words, was some sort of poem and though Alex read it twice, it made little sense. The only part that did make sense was the final stanza: 

_The legacy made, is now your own _  
_ The crimes of mother, brother yours alone _  
_ We are one and of the same _  
_ Blood to spill in this game _  
_ Prepare to shatter as you'll crack _  
_ Revenge is mine, sweet payback _

"Jesus, Lena," Alex breathed as she passed the note to Vasquez. "This sounds like a threat to me." 

"That's why I called the NCPD," Lena said and raised an eyebrow, "but I guess I get the DEO." 

"I'm assigning a detail to you," Alex replied. "At least until we can figure out what's in that vial and who sent it." 

Lena crossed her arms and shook her head. 

"Absolutely not," she said. "I don't need a detail. What I need is for someone to investigate this obvious threat." 

"Lena," Alex began reproachfully. "This is serious. You don't know who sent it and it sounds like they're blaming your family. You're a —" 

"A Luthor. I'm well-aware, Director Danvers," Lena replied coolly. "But I'm still not letting the DEO send some goon to follow me around. I have an engagement this evening and I'm not missing it." 

Alex cast a glance at Vasquez who'd stepped forward to set the vial and note back into their original packaging. 

"A bodyguard, maybe?" Vasquez suggested. "He could attend as Ms. Luthor's date to her function." 

Lena shook her head again. 

"No, out of the question," she insisted as she pulled her desk chair back out and sat down in it, crossing her legs and frowning at the two DEO agents. "I will not attend this gala this evening with some random DEO bodyguard." 

"Begging your pardon, ma'am, but DEO agents are some of the best trained military operatives in the world," Vasquez replied. "You couldn't be safer if Supergirl herself went with you." 

Lena was shaking her head again and was about to reply. 

"I'll do it," Alex said. "I'll go to the gala with you." 

The CEO tilted her head and looked at the director with a look of surprise. 

"Director Danvers, are you offering to be my date?" 

Alex paled. 

"Uh, well, no, I mean, it doesn't have to be a date," she stammered. "I just... we're friends and I work for the DEO and —" 

"Agent Danvers," Lena interrupted, intentionally demoting her. "I'd be honored to have you as my date." 

*** 

Lena had used that word and Alex's stomach had lurched. It wasn't a date. She didn't think of Lena like that. If the Luthor insisted on going into public immediately after receiving such a cryptic threat, she needed security, and if she was going to reject a DEO security detail, Alex only saw one option: to serve as her personal bodyguard. 

It wasn't a date, even though Lena had said it. It wasn't a date even though Alex felt slightly panicked and her palms were sweating. And it wasn't a date even though Alex now stood in front of her open closet door, pulling out just about every item of clothing she owned, rejecting item after item. It was a gala event which meant half her wardrobe was completely inappropriate. It didn't matter how many of these events she wound up going to, she never felt like she had anything to wear. In this case, she needed something to wear that would also allow her to carry a weapon. 

Alex pulled the final handful of clothes from her closet and dropped them unceremoniously onto her bed. She stared at the pile and put her hands on her hips, walking to the other side of the bed as if a change in perspective would magically make the correct outfit appear. Why had she volunteered to be Lena's personal bodyguard? 

"Her body is worth guarding," Alex mumbled and then realized what she'd said and how it sounded. Her stomach churned again and she wiped her slick palms on her pants. That's not what she meant at all. "Lena needs someone she can trust and she needs someone to protect her. That's me." 

She was about to pick up her phone to call her sister to help her through her clothing emergency when there was a sharp rap on her door. Alex breathed out a deep sigh. Her new neighbor had locked himself out of his apartment no fewer than three times in the last two weeks and each time had decided to knock on her door to ask to call the building's super. She walked to the door and peered through the peephole before unlocking and opening it. 

A courier in a suit held a large package in both hands and bowed slightly when Alex opened the door. She cocked an eyebrow as the package was pressed into her hands. 

"I didn't order anything," she said. 

"I know, ma'am," the courier replied. "It's from Ms. Luthor." 

Alex furrowed her brow and stood at the open door for a beat, looking down at the package as the courier turned and started back down the hallway. She watched him go before closing her door and taking the package to her kitchen counter. The packaging was simple but elegant and completely non-descript. The box was wrapped in white paper and tied with a large white ribbon. She pulled at the ribbon and it fell away. Alex lifted the box's lid and set it aside, revealing a tailored black Armani suit and a handwritten note: 

_It's black tie. – Lena _


	6. Suits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know where I'm going. Running rudderless through this fic. I'll pull it together.

Alex stared at the suit in its box for a long time before gingerly lifting the single-breasted tuxedo jacket out. She ran a hand down the silk lapels, her eyes lingering on the words Giorgio Armani stitched onto the tag. She removed the pants next and held them up. Alex wasn't sure how, but the suit appeared to be exactly her size. 

She laid the matching pieces down on her couch and stepped backwards to take in the whole picture. It was easily the most beautiful outfit in her entire closet. It was also the most expensive. She couldn't accept it. 

Alex punched Lena’s number into her phone. The CEO picked up on the second ring. 

“Did it arrive?” she asked. 

“Yeah, it’s here,” Alex began, “but, Lena —" 

“Doesn’t it fit?” Lena sounded disappointed. “I asked Kara for your size.” 

Alex shook her head and began pacing her apartment. 

“I'm sure it does—” 

“You haven't tried it on yet? Alex, you need to leave soon. The gala starts at seven," Lena continued, slipping into the tone she usually reserved for insolent assistants and members of the board. "I’m a guest speaker. I can_not_ be late.” 

“Lena,” Alex tried to interrupt but when the other woman kept talking, she raised her voice. “Lena! Stop!” Silence fell on the other end and Alex took a breath. She hadn’t meant to seem ungrateful. It was a beautiful suit and an extremely nice gesture, but it was altogether much too much. “Thank you for sending it, but I can’t accept it. It’s just too much. Really.” 

Lena paused before replying. Her tone softened and she was no longer the CEO speaking to an employee. 

"You _can _accept it," she said. "You're my friend and I want you to have it. This gala, it's a big deal. For me. You weren't expecting to come, and you've already tossed your evening plans to attend. The least I can do is make sure you look fabulous." 

"Still...it's Armani, Lena. It's really too much." 

"It's not too much," Lena insisted. "Please, Alex, wear the suit. Unless you don't like it?" 

Alex cast a loving look over at the black Armani laid out on her couch. Lena had no idea how much she liked the suit. It was the sort of thing she would admire in a store window but would have been forced to leave behind. 

"It's not that," she said truthfully. "It's gorgeous. I love it —" 

"Good," Lena cut in, signaling the end of the discussion. "My driver will be by in about 40 minutes. I'll see you then." 

The phone went dead in Alex's hand, and she stared at it for a minute before picking up the suit. There was no sense fighting Lena on this. She was just starting to gain the CEO's trust and friendship after the Supergirl debacle. And the suit was really nice. Was it really worth upsetting Lena over? 

No, Alex decided as she returned to the pile of clothes on her bed. She pulled on the pants, working the invisible side zipper and admired how well they fit. It was almost as if they'd been made for her. They hugged her hips and, as she turned to look at her ass in the mirror, Alex decided she was glad Lena insisted she keep it. She turned her attention to the clothing avalanche on her bed. While Lena had sent over these amazing, magical ass-hugging pants and beautiful hand-stitched jacket, she still needed to find something to wear underneath it. 

She picked up a white button-down pinstripe shirt and shrugged into it, adding the jacket on top. Just as quickly as the shirt was on, she'd taken it off again and was moving on to the next shirt. Nothing looked right. She picked up her phone with a sigh. 

**Are you busy? Can you come over?**

Less than a minute later, Kara landed inside her kitchen and spotted her sister standing at the foot of her bed with her arms crossed over her chest. 

"Is that the suit Lena picked out?" Kara asked, pushing on her sister's shoulder and encouraging her to turn in a slow circle so she could see the whole thing. "It's gorgeous. You look great!" 

Alex frowned and dropped her arms to reveal her problem. 

"What am I supposed to wear under this?" she moaned, gesturing at her bare torso beneath the jacket. She picked up a handful of shirts and dropped them one by one back onto the bed. "I've tried this one and this one and this one. Everything looks bad. It's all awful. I don’t know what Lena was thinking!" 

"She was thinking you'd look amazing in Armani which you do, by the way. And it can't all be bad," Kara replied as she looked down at the pile of clothing. She picked up a black shell top and handed it to Alex. "Try this." 

Alex looked down at the shirt with a frown. She'd already tried it on, but she took off the jacket and pulled the shirt down over her head before putting the jacket back on and buttoning the single button. 

"Oh, no," Kara said as soon as Alex turned back to face her. "Try this one." 

The jacket was off again and she swapped the black shell for the white pinstripe, topping it with the jacket. She turned back and held her arms out stiffly at her sides. The jacket felt too tight in the arms with the shirt beneath it. 

"Nope. This one?" 

They went through every top in Alex's closet and finally Kara dropped onto the bed, glancing at the clock. Lena's driver would be arriving in about fifteen minutes. Alex was still standing in the middle of the room in the suit pants, black heels she rarely wore but Kara had fished out of the back of her closet, and the jacket. The jacket was buttoned but she had nothing underneath. 

"Okay, don't hate me, but maybe nothing?" Kara ventured. 

Alex furrowed her brow and frowned at her sister. 

"What do you mean, 'nothing'?" 

Kara got up again and turned Alex around so she was facing her reflection in the full-length mirror. 

"Go like this," she said. "You look great." 

"It's the suit," Alex said flatly, crossing her arms again. 

The younger Danvers pulled on her sister's arms until they dropped to her sides again. She stood just behind her with her hands on her hips. 

"Oh, come on, Alex. You look great," she said and reached a hand up to brush a few stray strands of short hair away from her sister's eyes. "Honest." 

Alex cocked an eyebrow and met her sister's eyes in the mirror. 

"Really? You don't think it's too," she gestured at her breasts, barely obscured by the jacket's lapels, and abs that peeked out when she put her hands in the jacket's pockets, "revealing?" 

Kara rolled her eyes. 

"No," she said firmly, taking on her Supergirl voice. "You look great." 

"What about my gun?" 

"What about it?" 

Alex turned away from the mirror to look at Kara. 

"Where do I put it? I have to take it. This isn't a social event. I'm working. I'm Lena's bodyguard for the night. I can't go unarmed." 

Kara sighed and lifted the right side of Alex's jacket. She tapped her hip. 

"Here?" She lifted the back of the jacket and tapped the small of Alex's back. "Or here? Literally anywhere. You're looking for reasons you shouldn't wear this." 

Alex shook her head. 

"Not looking for reasons," she insisted. "This is —" 

"Work! I know," Kara finished. She grabbed for her sister's gun in its holster on the kitchen counter and pressed it against Alex's waist. "Gun. Hip. It'll be fine." 

Alex clipped the gun to her belt and looked again in the mirror. She'd expected the gun to cause a bulge, but it nearly disappeared under the well-cut jacket. 

"Okay, fine," she grumbled and stared at her reflection. "I feel unprofessional." 

"You look amazing," Kara said reassuringly. "Now, just do something with your hair and you'll be ready to go." 

Alex hmmed and stepped into the bathroom. She grabbed the container of pomade on the counter and began finger styling her hair while Kara leaned up against the doorframe. 

"That package Lena got," she began. "How serious is it? Is it alien?" 

"We don't know yet," Alex replied, studying her reflection and then brushing her hair back again with her fingers. "I gave everything to Brainy. He's gonna contact me as soon as he knows something. But you know, she's Lena. She gets this kind of thing all the time. They're all serious and credible until they're not." 

Kara nodded and bit her bottom lip. 

"Keep me posted?" 

Alex turned away from the mirror and put a hand on Kara's shoulder, giving it a friendly squeeze. 

"Of course," she said. 

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation and Alex glanced at her watch. Right on time. 

"That's gotta be Lena's driver," she said as she flipped off the bathroom light. "I look okay?" 

Kara nodded. 

"Better than okay," she said and turned towards the open kitchen window. "Have fun!" 

Kara was gone in an instant, the curtains billowing in the breeze she created, and Alex shook her head with a smile as she picked up her purse from the couch and went to the door. 

Lena Luthor stood in the hallway and Alex's mouth fell open. She didn't mean to stare, but she couldn't help it. The CEO may have selected a pants suit for Alex, but the emerald green dress she chose for herself was... Alex was having a hard time forming thoughts. The maxi dress hugged her hips tightly and fell to the floor. A long slit up one side stopped halfway up Lena's thigh. The sweetheart neckline left the tops of her breasts fully exposed and Alex closed her mouth with a click. 

"Le-Lena," she stuttered. "You look. W-Wow. Green is your color. You look…you look incredible.” 

Lena smiled broadly and looked Alex up and down. 

"Thank you," she said. "But look at you. I told you you'd look amazing in Armani." 

Alex blushed and looked down at her hands. 

"I still think it's too much, but thank you. I love it." 

Lena smiled again. 

"Good, I'm glad," she said. "Are you ready to go?" 

"Yes, definitely," she said as she flipped off the light and closed the apartment door behind her. "But you know, I didn't expect you to come to my door. I thought you'd send your driver up." 

Lena feigned hurt and put a hand dramatically over her chest. 

"Director Danvers, I'm hurt," she said. "What kind of date would I be if I just sent my driver up? A lady _always_ greets her date at the door." 

*** 

Everyone was staring at the them. Alex could feel eyes on them as soon as they walked into the gala. They had to be staring at Lena, Alex reasoned, because she'd barely been able to stop staring at her herself since the CEO arrived at her front door. That dress and the way Lena filled it had taken away every intelligent thought that even tried to enter her mind. She was almost afraid of what might come out if she opened her mouth; it most likely wouldn't be a complete sentence. She'd done almost everything she could think of to not be completely awkward in the car on the ride over, but she had to keep looking out the window and away from Lena. If she didn't look out the window, she was afraid she'd keep staring and her eyes kept drifting to fixate on the other woman's prominently displayed cleavage. 

Lena scanned the room, turning slowly and taking note of the various members of National City's social scene as well as members of her own board of directors. Aside from servers and bartenders, Alex and Lena were among the youngest in the room. 

"Well, I've seen enough," Lena said quietly to Alex. "Buy me a drink?" 

The women walked to the open bar and Alex ordered them each a Scotch. As the bartender slid two glasses to them, Alex stuffed a few bills into a tip cup and leaned back against the bar and scanned the room. 

"How do you do it?" she asked suddenly. 

"Do what?" Lena asked, casually sipping at her drink and turning to follow Alex's gaze. 

"All of these people, they're all staring at you," Alex said. "How can you stand it?" 

Lena looked around the room and then back at her DEO bodyguard. She gave Alex an appraising gaze and smiled sweetly. 

"They're not looking at me," she said and then leaned closer to whisper into Alex's ear. "I think they're staring at my date." 

Alex shivered as Lena's breath tickled her ear. At the same time, she stiffened slightly. It was one thing to dress like this when out on an actual date with someone she actually had a chance with, but this wasn't a date. She should have dressed more conservatively. This was work after all. 

Lena saw the change in her body language and set her glass on the bar. 

“What? What’s the matter?” 

“I can't believe I let Kara talk me into coming like this,” she said and grabbed at her lapels to pull the jacket closed more tightly around herself. “I'm working, and now people are staring and I feel naked, and I must look ridiculous because they're staring—” 

Lena put her index finger to Alex’s lips, silencing her immediately. 

“They’re staring because you look beautiful,” she assured her and gently pried Alex's hands away from the jacket. “You look amazing.” 

“Not ridiculous?” 

Lena shook her head. 

“Hardly.” 

Alex turned three shades of red and busied herself by taking a long swallow of Scotch. She shook her head slightly. 

"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm here to work and —" 

Lena put a hand on Alex’s wrist, pulling her attention away from her drink and stopping her ramble. She was looking across the room, and stealthily nodded towards a group of older men who'd just arrived. She gave a small groan of annoyance. 

“See those men there? They’re all on the board for Lord Technologies,” she said, changing the subject in an effort to make her friend forget about what she was wearing. 

Alex looked around. 

“Where’s Max?” she asked. 

“Oh, who knows,” Lena replied dismissively. “He doesn't show his face much anymore which, as far as I’m concerned, is fine. Conceited, arrogant, nice butt, though…” she trailed off and picked her drink back up, draining the glass and signaling for a second. 

Lena picked up her fresh glass of Scotch and looked at Alex seriously. 

“They’re going to come over. They have to, I’m Lena Luthor. They’ll have to say hello simply out of politeness and societal protocol,” she said. “Alex, I need a favor.” 

The agent raised an eyebrow and looked at her curiously. 

“They can’t know I’m here with a bodyguard,” she said. “It’ll be all the talk: The CEO of L-Corp is being threatened and is scared enough to hire a bodyguard.” 

“You didn't hire me,” Alex pointed out. “You said —” 

“I know, but it won't matter,” she interrupted. “It'll look like a sign of weakness.” 

Alex bit her lip and nodded. She understood. Had Lena been a man, she’d be applauded for protecting her assets and taking threats against herself and her company seriously. As a woman, however, it was different. She'd be called an alarmist. It was a move she absolutely couldn't afford to make. Her refusal to bring a "random bodyguard" hadn't been just her typical bull-headed insistence on self-sufficiency. As usual, Lena was ten steps ahead of everyone else. 

“Okay,” she agreed as the group began heading towards them. 

Lena straightened up slightly beside her and sipped her drink. 

“Play along?” she whispered before breaking into a large smile and laughing, slipping her arm around Alex's waist. 

Confusion crossed Alex’s face for just a second, and then she followed Lena’s lead, laughing at the imaginary joke. She tried not to focus on the feeling of Lena's hand resting on her hip. When the men reached them, Lena tore her attention from Alex and looked at them as if she hadn't even noticed their arrival. 

“Tom, Richard, Harold,” she greeted them pleasantly, slowly drawing her arm away from Alex's waist, and shaking each of their hands firmly. “How lovely to see you.” 

“Ms. Luthor,” the man she'd called Harold said with a polite smile. “I see you've already conned the bartender into opening up the good Scotch.” 

“Of course. They should just add the Macallan to the well. Why make us ask for it? We're not animals,” Lena smiled and took a sip. She looked past them as if searching for someone. “Is your wife with you? It’s been absolutely ages since I’ve seen her at one of these. I’d love to catch up with her.” 

“Not this evening,” Harold replied and put on what Alex thought was a good attempt at a disappointed frown. “Her mother is in town so she's spending the evening with her. I’m afraid it’s just us boys tonight, and you, of course, Ms. Luthor.” He looked at Alex and added quickly, "And your friend as well." 

Lena frowned and put her hand on the small of Alex's back, lightly drawing small circles there. Alex's brain went a little foggy for a second and she had to remind herself that the intimate gesture was nothing but show. 

"Oh, how rude of me. Forgive me," she smiled. "Gentlemen, I'd like you to meet my date, Alex Danvers." 

The man Lena had greeted as Richard was the first to step forward. 

"Miss Danvers, Richard Tolliver," he smiled, and Alex could have sworn she saw him wink at her as he extended a hand for her to shake. His gaze never met her eyes and lingered near the single button of her jacket. "And how do you know Ms. Luthor?" 

Before Alex could reply, Lena had already intervened. 

"She's my date," she repeated, the same polite tone still coming through even though Alex knew she'd already moved beyond politeness and was now just being tolerant. She made a metal note to ask her about that later. Lena had an incredible way of being exceptionally rude while still sounding as if she couldn't possibly be any more polite. It was a real skill, almost an art. Admirable even. 

Richard acted as if he hadn't heard Lena's response and pressed again. 

"Know each other from college? Or do you work at Luthor Corp? Excuse me, I'm so sorry, Ms. Luthor, L-Corp, of course." 

Alex tried her best to match Lena's polite smile. 

"Actually, neither," she said and grabbed for Lena's hand, threading their fingers together in hopes that Richard would get the hint. 

"She's my date," Lena repeated, cutting off Alex before she could say anything more. The polite tone was gone and Lena's voice had taken on a testy and impatient edge. Alex squeezed her hand in an attempt to get her to calm down and she heard the other woman let out a long breath. 

Richard took a visible step back from the two women and blinked. He looked from Lena to Alex and back to Lena again. He cleared his throat and smoothed a hand over his tie. 

"I had no idea that you... liked that kind," he said, clearly trying to think of a way to recover. Lena's voice had gotten louder than necessary for polite conversation and they'd drawn the eyes of a few nearby gala attendees. 

Lena's eyes sparkled and she grinned. It was both predatory and genuine at once and Alex was once again impressed by the way the CEO handled herself. 

"I'm going to pretend I don't know what you're talking about and that you're not being incredibly rude to both me and my guest," she said and then lowered her voice as if she were about to share a salacious secret. "But, Mr. Tolliver, since you seem to be taking notes, I like all sorts." 

Lena turned quickly on her heel, pulling Alex along with her. They moved through the crowd of attendees towards a door that was closed off with a single velvet rope. The man guarding the entrance took one look at Lena, unclipped the rope, and stepped aside so they could enter the private VIP lounge. 

"I am so sorry, Alex," Lena apologized once they were alone. "I knew Richard was a giant dick, but I didn't realize he was homophobic, too. It's disgusting. I am so sorry. If I had known..." 

Alex shook her head. This wasn't the first homophobic old white man she'd encountered since coming out, and she was certain it wouldn't be the last. 

"Don't worry about it. It might have bothered me once, but that's... normal, " she said and then continued while trying to keep herself from laughing, "but are their names _really_ Tom, Dick, and Harry?" 

"Walking clichés of white male privilege," Lena confirmed. 

She turned to the small bar set up in the corner of the room as two other VIPs entered and headed towards a small seating area. 

"I don't know about you, but I could use another drink," she said, plucking the empty glass from Alex's hand and ordering two more Scotches without waiting for a response. 

Alex took the offered drink and sipped at it. 

"It's probably not my business," she began, "but what you said back there?" 

Lena raised an eyebrow. 

"What I said back there?" 

Alex swallowed hard. It wasn't her business at all but she needed to know. She'd never really looked at Lena as anything other than Kara's friend and, more recently, as her own. Then she'd shown up at her apartment looking the way she did and Alex's brain had short-circuited. Appearance aside, the more time they spent together, the more Alex appreciated the way Lena's mind worked. She admired her. 

"You like all sorts?" 

Lena licked her bottom lip and took another sip of her Scotch, eyeing Alex over the rim. 

"I'm sorry," Alex said quickly when Lena didn't reply. "It's really none of my business." 

Lena let out a long breath and cast a glance at the pair sitting on the nearby couch. 

"I am a very public person. It's one of the hazards of being the CEO of a successful corporation," Lena said. "My personal life isn't exactly a secret. It almost always winds up being public. _Very_ public." 

"Right," Alex said. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't—" 

"I haven't dated a woman since university," she admitted. "I wasn't out, she was, it didn't work. But, good lord, can you imagine my mother? Lillian Luthor finding out her imperfect, bastard daughter was even more flawed? The look on her face. Honestly, it was almost too delicious." 

Alex nervously took another sip of her Scotch. 

"So, you’re..." 

"Bisexual," Lena supplied with a shrug. "I'm attracted to handsome men and beautiful women. Best of all worlds, really. The problem has always been the handsome men are wealthy assholes. And the beautiful women? They're self-absorbed and narcissistic, usually playing at some sorority house game to get free drinks." 

Alex smiled politely. She didn't really know how to reply to that. It didn't change her opinion of Lena, but it did explain the number of pantsuits the woman wore. It also answered the question she didn't want to think about because it had to be a question rooted in sheer lust. Lena Luthor dated beautiful women. Full stop. End of questioning. Good night, Director Danvers and thank you for playing. 

Lena swirled her Scotch in her glass before taking another sip. She looked carefully at Alex's face and thought she saw a flicker of something there. 

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Did I say something wrong?" 

Alex shook her head. 

"No," she said. "Nothing wrong. Maybe we should head back to the gala? You have a speech to give?" 

"Wait. The party will still be there," Lena said. "What's wrong? Is it that homophobic asshole? If I had known, I would have never —" 

"No, no, nothing like that. I'm unfortunately really used to that kind of response," Alex insisted. She sat down on a bar stool and looked at her glass as if it could tell her what to do next. "I guess, hearing you describe the women you're attracted to, I thought maybe there was something here but... It's dumb. It's the suit and the dress and you look incredible and the Scotch. There's a lot of Scotch, and your hand on my hip and... it doesn't matter. I'm here as your bodyguard. So, let's get out there so I can guard... Let's just get back to the party." 

Alex got up from the stool and started towards the exit. Lena watched her walk away for a minute and tried to build up her courage. It was easy to dress down some stuffed shirt at a party or in a board room, but talking about her own feelings was one of the things she'd never managed to master. Luthors don't talk about their feelings. Or at least that's what Lillian had always drilled into her. If her mother had her way, Lena would have been an automaton. 

"It's not dumb," Lena called and hurried after her. She caught Alex by the forearm, stopping her progress. "It's really not dumb. I don't know what I feel. I'm not good at that, but I do feel something, Alex. I just, I don't really know what it is." 

Alex didn't say anything. Her eyes flitted over Lena's face, trying to decide if it was the Scotch talking or if this was some cruel prank to get back at her for keeping Supergirl's identity a secret. 

"You feel something?" she asked finally. 

"Yes." 

"Like indigestion or...?" Alex tried to joke. 

Lena frowned. 

"No. Alex, I am good at running a business. I can engineer all sorts of things. I have several advanced degrees in science and biotechnology," she said. "I'm not good with _people_. Sure, I know how to get them to do what I want and I know how to present the image people want from me, but that's because that's what I grew up with. I _am _a Luthor. What I do know is I've very much enjoyed spending time with you, and the look on the faces of those men when they thought we were together..." 

"It _was _good, wasn't it?" Alex agreed with a slight laugh. 

"I liked it," Lena admitted. "And I liked holding your hand, I feel very comfortable with you. That's not easy for me. And you _do _look great in that suit." 

Alex bit her bottom lip and put a hand to her forehead. It was time to take a risk. 

"Thank you," she said quietly. "Umm, hey, Lena, do you think that maybe, if you want, it's totally up to you, maybe after tonight we could go to dinner sometime? On a date. With me. Only if you want to." 

Lena grinned. It was one of those uninhibited, completely genuine smiles Alex had only seen once before and she was struck by how much it lit up her entire face. 

"I'd like that," she replied and then glanced at the door leading back to the gala. "But you're probably right. We should get back. I can only imagine what's being said." 

She held out a hand for Alex to take and the two women returned to the party hand in hand. 


	7. Hurt and Anger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd intended this to be a longer chapter but after spending nearly 1,300 words doing a deep dive into Lena Luthor, basically a character study, I thought it ought to stand on its own. I tried really hard to get inside Lena's head here. I hope I was successful. Or at least slightly successful.
> 
> Also, on a separate note, you guys are so amazing. In the last 500+ days I've written more than 320,000 words here on AO3. Somehow, you all have taken this Supergirl fic and turned it into my biggest "success." You've subscribed, commented, bookmarked, and kudo'ed the hell out of it, and my anxious, self-doubting writer's heart is just soaring. Thank you so much. Your support means the world.
> 
> Anyways, this is just a short one.

Lena had been replying to emails for the last two hours and was trying to clear through her inbox before Kara showed up with lunch. They'd set the lunch date at Noonan's when Lena offered a reset button, but now she wished she hadn't made plans. It wasn't that she didn't want to see Kara. It was the opposite, really. She desperately wanted a few minutes without work, but if she was being perfectly honest, she hadn't done much work at all since arriving at her desk shortly before 7 a.m. She was completely distracted, replaying the previous evening's events over and over in her mind and overanalyzing every last interaction. 

Alex Danvers had asked her out. And Lena was pretty certain she'd said yes. 

There was nothing wrong with saying yes to Alex. She was attracted to the director, and the more time she spent with her, the more time she wanted to spend with her. But even though the elder Danvers sister had asked her out, they hadn't set a date. Part of Lena believed they never would and it was just a hypothetical ask. 

There was no mistaking the way Alex stared at her when she arrived at her door, and she hadn't missed the way Alex had to keep drawing her eyes back to her face, and there was no misunderstanding the slight shiver that had gone up Alex's spine when she'd whispered in her ear. Alex was attracted to her, which suited Lena fine since the feelings were mutual. That didn't stop Lena from doubting it, though. 

Alex had been nice to her ever since Kara had introduced them. Sure, there had been tense moments where her last name had made her a suspect in one investigation or another - Lena would forever resent that, but it was unavoidable. It was all part of the territory that came along with simply being born a Luthor. But Alex, much like her sister, had always tried to look for the good. Maybe that in itself was a red flag. 

_People are only nice because they want something_, Lena thought, harkening back to something Lillian had once said. There was plenty that an association with the Luthor family could bring. Money. Notoriety. Prestige. As the CEO of L-Corp, Lena had all of those things. Anyone who willingly got involved with her, romantically or otherwise, had always had their eyes on those things instead of on her. Kara's friendship had been the rare exception. 

Up until Kara Danvers had stumbled into her office with Clark Kent, no one had ever treated Lena as anything more than an extension of Lionel, Lex, or Lillian. Kara had heard her last name and simply moved on as if it were no more unique than Smith or Jones. She'd raised an eyebrow here and there, but Kara had offered up a friendship with no strings attached. Lena couldn't remember the last person who'd done that. Maybe Sam. And perhaps Alex. But there could be strings and she just hadn't recognized them as such yet. It was possible that Alex was simply being nice to her because L-Corp technology was useful for the DEO, and Alex was the director of the DEO. 

What if Alex wasn't really interested in her but had seen a way to get close to her so she could use their relationship to her advantage? 

Lena dropped her hands away from her keyboard and closed her eyes. She had to stop obsessing about it. Alex had never given her any reason to think she was being anything but sincere and genuine with her. Even thinking that Alex might be trying to use her was ridiculous. It was peak paranoia. Why was it so hard to believe that Alex Danvers was truly interested in her simply because she expressed interest in her? 

But how could Alex like her? Did Alex even truly know her? If she wasn't interested in using her, maybe she was just attracted to her physically. Lena wasn't stupid. She knew exactly how she'd looked in that dress at the gala. She knew people stared and, quite frankly, she didn't care. But if Alex was only interested in her more physical attributes, she wouldn't be the first. 

That didn't feel right either, though. It didn't seem like Alex. Lena might doubt how well the director knew her, but she thought she had a pretty good read on her. Alex Danvers wasn't conniving or shallow. She was just... _Alex_. Just a girl from Midvale who was fiercely loyal and protective of the people she cared about. Everyday Alex went to work, she wasn't protecting the world from aliens; she was protecting everyone, humans _and _aliens, from whomever posed the current threat. It was admirable. 

So why was Lena having such a hard time putting any faith into Alex following through with their date and the simple notion that Alex Danvers actually wanted to date her? That she might even want to hold her hand for real and kiss her? Why was that so hard to believe? 

Because she was a Luthor and the other shoe was always waiting to drop. It was the same reason that outwardly, she'd forgiven Kara, offered a reset button, and scheduled a lunch for them. Inside, however, there was a part of Lena that hadn't moved on. That part of her was still hurt and angry. She was coping with it better, and maybe Alex had a hand in that, but underneath the smile and the "let's move on" attitude she'd tried to put out there, Lena wasn't sure if she'd ever be anything other than hurt. 

She understood why she was hurt, and it had nothing to do with Kara and had everything to do with her own self-worth. Lena was able to project this image that she was Lena Luthor and didn't give a single damn what anyone had to say about her. She was tough and in control. Internalizing this image, however, wasn't as easy. She was still the hurt little girl who came to live with the Luthors and had to endure years of Lillian explaining in no uncertain terms why she'd never be one of them, why she'd never belong. 

Of course, that wasn't the whole of it. Kara's deception had brought the lingering hurt back to the surface. The lie, no, it wasn't a lie. It was just a secret. That secret Kara had kept from her for so long had just reopened every old wound. She'd pushed down so much of her childhood trauma and locked away so many of the terrible things that Lillian had said or done to her. They were still inside of her, reminding her of her failures and the disappointment her family saw her as. Lillian had been very clear that Lena didn't belong. She was a square peg in the proverbial round Luthor-sized hole. 

She'd grown up guarding herself, her emotions, never knowing when her mother would next strike out. She was rarely physically abusive. No, Lillian Luthor preferred mind games. But when it wasn't Lillian reminding her that she wasn't worthy of the Luthor name, it was every other person she encountered who saw the Luthor name and instantly knew everything there was to know about Lena. And one of those things was that she couldn't be trusted. 

The hurt, the anger. It all boiled up when she found out about Kara and Supergirl. She wanted to get passed it, to forgive Kara, to move forward, and outwardly, that's what she was doing with the reset button. Inside, though, Lena wasn't sure if that anger or hurt would ever go away or if she even deserved to be free of it. 


	8. The Alien Element

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't remember the last time i turned out chapters this quickly. I sorta love this fic.

Alex wondered if she'd made a mistake asking Lena out at the gala. She'd been there as her bodyguard and instead of doing the job she was there to do, she continuously had to remind herself not stare at Lena's breasts every time her eyes began to drift south. She was a gay mess. It wasn't like she'd been walking around harboring some long, unrequited crush on the CEO, but she was just suddenly awash in gay panic. Lena had looked so great and there was something about watching her command a room. She'd been certain they'd shared a moment or two and with the way that Lena ran her hand over her hip and along her back, Alex's brain had shut down. The next thing she knew she was asking her on a date. 

Not that they'd made actual plans. It'd just been some vague ask without follow through. Alex vowed to correct that. Unless, of course, Lena had just been being nice and didn't really want to go out with her. Always a possibility. Just because Lena said she liked girls didn't mean she liked her. 

Alex was so caught up in her thoughts, she hadn't noticed Brainy approaching, and she didn't hear him when he called her name. Twice. 

"Director Danvers!" he finally yelled, pulling Alex out of her thoughts. "Are you having some kind of medical emergency? Shall I call for a medic?" 

"I'm fine, Brainy," Alex replied as she began walking towards the command center. "I was just thinking." 

Brainy hurried after her. 

"Anything I may be of assistance with?" 

"Not unless you've suddenly become an expert on dating." 

Brainy shook his head and frowned slightly. 

"Not if my interactions with Nia Nal are taken into consideration," he said sadly. "I'm afraid I'm not very good at it. Dating, that is." 

Alex shrugged. 

"Don't worry about it. No one is," she replied. "So, what do you have?" 

Brainy looked confused for a moment and then realized the director had changed the subject. 

"Right! The vial from Ms. Luthor's office," he said and pulled up a chemical analysis diagram on his computer. "We don't know what it is." 

Alex waited for him to continue, assuming his pause was for dramatic effect. When he stood looking at her, she cleared her throat loudly. 

"That's it? You don't know what it is?" 

"Correct." 

"At all?" 

Brainy opened his mouth to speak and hesitated. 

"From the annoyance in your voice, I take it that that is not the answer you were looking for," he said. 

Alex stared at him. 

"Okay," he continued. "The substance in the vial is unlike anything seen on this planet before. It is not, however, completely unknown. I recognize it from the future but I can't tell you anything else about it without jeopardizing future events." 

"Brainy." 

Brainy closed his eyes as if waging a mental battle with himself. He gritted his teeth and then his eyes flew open. 

"Okay! I can tell you it contains Kryptonian elements and a substance surprisingly like Jello," he said quickly. "But that's it." 

Alex pinched the bridge of her nose and rolled her eyes up to towards the ceiling. 

"Jello?" she asked. "As in J. E. L. L. O?" 

"Precisely. It's not Jello, but it's very much like it. It creates a firming effect that interacts with the alien element. When taken out of containment, it destabilizes and becomes... stretchy. " 

"Stretchy? Is it dangerous? Why would someone send it to Lena?" she pressed. 

Brainy clasped his hands behind his back and started to pace slightly. 

"She's not part Kryptonian by any chance, is she?" 

Alex shook her head. 

"No, Brainy. Not Kryptonian. Human," she said. "Lena Luthor is a human." 

"Then no idea," he said. 

*** 

Alex parked her bike outside of the office for John Jones, Private Investigator and pulled her helmet off. No matter how many times she'd come by to visit J'onn in his new office, it was still weird to think he wasn't with the DEO anymore. 

"J'onn?" she called as she pushed through the door and looked around. 

The Martian looked up from the book he was reading and smiled. 

"Director Danvers! It's nice to see you," he said. 

Alex returned his grin. 

"Yeah, you too, J'onn," she said. "How's the private investigation business?" 

J'onn looked around the office. 

"Slow," he said. "It'll pick up, but right now it's a little slow. What can I do for you, Danvers?" 

Alex unzipped the pocket of her leather jacket and took out the vial from Lena's office. She set it down on J'onn's desk, noticing the way he raised an eyebrow and quickly looked up at her then back to the vial. 

"What's this?" he asked. 

"I dunno," Alex replied, dramatically shrugging as she began to pace. "Lena got a package the other day from a courier and inside was this. And a note. This and a note." 

J'onn picked the vial up and held it at eye level, tapping the side lightly with his finger. 

"Did Brainy take a look at this? I'd think your guys at the DEO would be better equipped to handle this than a Martian Manhunter." 

Alex dropped into a chair opposite J'onn's desk. 

"Brainy says it has Kryptonian elements," she explained. "And a substance like Jello." 

"Gelatin?" J'onn asked, blinking. 

"Yup. Is it anything you've heard of before? Maybe something you've seen?" Alex asked. "He says it becomes stretchy." 

"Stretchy?" 

"Yup." 

"And it was sent to Lena?" 

Alex nodded. 

J'onn set the vial down and leaned back in his chair. 

"I've never seen it before," he admitted, "but I can ask around. The Alien Bar. Maybe someone might recognize it but have you thought about asking Kara? If it's Kryptonian, she might be able to find something out quicker than the DEO." 

Alex shook her head. 

"No," she said firmly. "I don't want to bring Kara into this. I mean, Supergirl is busy." 

J'onn fixed his former coworker with a curious look. 

"Isn't she friends with Ms. Luthor?" 

"Yeah, but I don't want to bother her with this, " Alex said perhaps a bit too quickly. 

The investigator got up from his chair and came around to the front of his desk. He leaned against it and crossed his arms. J'onn could wait all day for Alex to tell him what was going on. He could have easily read her mind, but he'd never do that to her. Besides, he didn't need to do that with Alex. If he was patient enough Alex would just start talking. 

"It's nothing," Alex said, trying to fill the silence. "It's just not a job for Supergirl. I don't want to bother her." 

The silence spun out and Alex began to fidget slightly. 

"Okay! Okay! You've got me! I asked out Lena Luthor and she said yes and I don't wanna tell Kara because Lena's her best friend, and oh my god I _hit on my sister's best friend!_" Alex exclaimed. "It's weird, right? Completely weird?" 

"Do you like Lena?" J'onn asked. 

Alex nodded, her eyes firmly on her hands. 

"I think so," she said. "I mean, it just sorta happened. I was her bodyguard at a function the other night and she sent over this beautiful Armani suit for me to wear and she wore this gorgeous gown and I just... I asked her." 

"And that was bad?" J'onn asked. He was completely out of his depth here. 

"Maybe?" 

J'onn let the silence build again. He looked back at the vial on his desk and then back to Alex. 

"Did that really come from Lena's office?" he asked. 

"Yes," she said. "That's how I got into this mess. I went there because she got a threatening note and this Kryptonian whatever it is and I wanted to assign a detail to her until we could figure out who sent it and what _that_ is, and Lena refused. She said she had an event and there was no way she was going to go with some 'random' DEO goon for a bodyguard. So, I offered to go and then I hit on Lena Luthor and here we are." 

"I see," J'onn replied. "So, are you here because of the threat to Ms. Luthor and whatever's in that vial or because you asked out your sister's friend?" 

"Both?" Alex asked, looking up hopefully at her former boss. 

J'onn shifted on his desk. 

"Okay, I'll see what I can find out about the Kryptonian Jello," he said. "And I think you should go talk to Lena. About the vial, I mean. Maybe you can wait a few days to talk to Supergirl. Just until she's not so busy." 

*** 

Jess sprang up from her desk as Alex stepped off the elevator and headed towards Lena's office. She put her body between the agent and the office door. 

"Please, Agent Danvers," Jess begged, "just let me tell her you're here." 

Alex stopped walking and nodded. 

"Sure," she said. She hadn't planned on just busting in or anything, but she supposed she had a reputation for that. "You know, I wasn't going to just walk in." 

Jess looked up as she sat back down at her desk and picked up her phone receiver, punching in Lena's extension. 

"I wasn't," Alex insisted. 

Lena's assistant looked back down and spoke quietly into the phone. 

"Ms. Luthor, Agent Alex Danvers is here to see you," she said, eyeing Alex and trying to determine if she was there in an official capacity. 

"It's about the package Lena got," Alex told her. "Ms. Luthor, I mean." 

"Yes, ma'am." Jess hung the phone up again and gestured towards the closed office door. "She's waiting for you." 

Alex nodded and whispered a quick thanks as she hurried to the door and let herself in. Lena was sitting at her desk, head down, and her pen flicking quickly across a stack of paper. She didn't look up or act as if she'd heard the door open, and Alex stood there awkwardly for a moment. 

"H-hi, Lena," she stammered and then corrected herself, adopting a military stance. "Ms. Luthor." 

Lena picked up the page she'd just been working on and turned it over, adding it to an equally large pile on the other side of her desk. Her pen moved quickly again and she finally set it down. She looked up at Alex, her elbows resting on the desktop and her hands clasped beneath her chin. She smiled broadly at her. 

"Director Danvers, what an unexpected surprise," she said. 

Alex gestured over her shoulder towards the closed office door. 

"Yeah, I'm really sorry about that," she began. "I just got an update on the vial we took from your office and I was nearby so I thought I'd drop in and tell you in person. Is it a bad time?" 

"Oh? You were nearby?" Lena teased. "It's not a bad time at all. Please, have a seat." 

Alex hesitated for a brief second before sitting in the chair Lena had gestured to. She'd been in her office numerous times but she couldn't think of a single time on any previous visit where the CEO had invited her to sit. 

"Well, I wasn't _really_ nearby," Alex confessed and blushed. "I had an update and, well, and I really wanted to come see you. But I should have called." 

Lena shook her head, her eyes sparkling. Alex wanted to see her. What was adorable about it was that Alex actually seemed a little nervous. It wasn't just a little adorable, Lena decided, it was the cutest thing she'd ever seen. 

"A call wasn’t necessary," she assured her. "I like having you drop by." 

Alex blushed deeper. 

"Do you remember last night?" she asked suddenly, all thoughts of the vial and her official DEO business forgotten. 

Lena tilted her head, her smile transforming slightly into something... _wicked_? Alex wasn't sure. 

"Vividly." 

"I asked you out," Alex said. "And you said —" 

"I said yes," Lena interrupted. "I remember." 

Alex licked her lips and looked everywhere but at Lena. 

"Would you like to go to dinner with me? Tonight?" 

Lena's smile transformed again and it lit up her entire face. She dropped her hands lightly onto her desk and stretched her arms out, clasping her fingers together. 

"I would love to have dinner with you tonight," Lena replied. The nervousness that had completely masked the director's face evaporated instantly. 

Alex got out of her chair and started backing to the door. 

"Great!" she said and made finger guns at Lena, catching herself and immediately dropping her hands down and clenching them into fists. "Seven? I'll pick you up at your penthouse?" 

"Seven would be great, " Lena replied, watching as Alex awkwardly tried to make her way to the exit. "Umm, Alex?" 

"Yes?" 

Lena chuckled softly as Alex banged into a table. 

"What about the vial?" 

Alex froze in place, her eyes going wide. She'd forgotten the reason she'd come to Lena's office in the first place. She pointed at Lena and started back towards her desk. 

"Right! The vial," she began before laying out all of the information she'd gotten from Brainy and then from J'onn. When she finally finished, Lena was frowning. 

"So whoever sent it... was an alien?" she asked. 

Alex shook her head. 

"We don't know that yet," she said, "but we do know that it's a real threat." 

"You want to put a security detail on me," Lena said, her frown deepening. 

The director hmmed for a moment as if she was considering her options. She finally shook her head. 

"Well, seeing as how you're having dinner with me tonight, I think we can maybe forgo a detail. For tonight," she grinned. "I can be your bodyguard." 

Lena smiled again. 

"If I didn't know any better, Director Danvers, I'd say you liked being my bodyguard," she said slyly. 

Alex shrugged and started back towards the door, this time walking more casually and not bumping into any furniture. 

"It's not the worst," she replied and put her hand on the doorknob. "Seven o'clock." 

"Seven o'clock." 

"Tonight."

"Tonight."


	9. Dateus Interruptus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter was so short and this one is so long. I should have probably split it into two parts but I just couldn't decide where the best breaking point would be. I apologize in advance for the nearly 7,000 words below. 
> 
> Also, I'm a little behind on replying to your comments. I promise to get caught up. I spent too long trying to figure out how to find my way through this chapter and it was all consuming. Rest assured, though, that every single comment, kudo, and subscription has brought a ridiculous smile to my face. You're all much too kind.

What do you wear on a date with Lena Luthor? Where do you even take her for dinner? Do you pick her up on the back of your motorcycle? Borrow a car from someone? Call an Uber? A Limo? Charter a helicopter? 

So many questions. 

Alex had left the DEO early, giving Brainy and Vasquez each instructions to call her if they needed her, but please don't need her. It would be amazing to get through _one night_ without someone, alien or human, trying to destroy the city. Now she paced around her kitchen, bottle of beer in hand, while frantically trying to plan her date. 

Ordinarily she would have called Kara for some sisterly assistance, but this wasn't a normal date. This was a date with her sister's very best friend, and for some reason Alex wasn't sure if she ought to tell her about it. On one hand, her best friend and sister were going on a date, but on the other hand, her best friend and sister were going on a date. If it didn't go well, Kara was going to be smack in the middle of it. Alex didn't want to drag her through something like that or put her in what could wind up an extremely awkward situation. At the same time, she wasn't great at keeping secrets from Kara. When your sister could hear your heartbeat at will, it was hard to lie to her. 

Alex sat on her couch and propped her feet up on the table, sipping at her beer as she tried to plan the date Lena had just agreed to. Dinner, she said. Seven o'clock. Also known as four hours from now. Alex fleetingly wondered if it was too late to get reservations somewhere. Probably too late for anywhere classy enough for Lena. It wasn't like she could just invite Lena out for pizza. With Maggie, they could go almost anywhere: wings and beer at Al's, Italian at that little place Maggie loved, or burgers and fries from Alex's favorite food truck. Of course, the food truck was in Chicago and required a little help from Supergirl. 

But that was Maggie. This was Lena. And Alex didn't know anything about Lena except she liked Scotch and kale. Maybe Alex had seen her eat pizza before; she couldn't remember. 

She threw her head back against the couch and stared up at the ceiling in dismay. How had she gotten herself into this? Lena Luthor was totally, 100% out of her league. She blew out a deep breath. There was only one person she could think of who could help her right now, and it was the one person she didn't want to call. 

Alex closed her eyes and huffed out a sigh before picking up her phone and dialing her sister's number. 

"Hey, uh, are you busy? Can you come over?" 

She didn't even have the chance to set her phone down; Kara was landing just inside of her kitchen window. Alex shook her head. 

“One of these days you're gonna knock on the door like a normal person,” she said, smiling slightly and getting up and heading into the kitchen for another beer which she slid across the counter to Kara. 

“You sounded weird on the phone,” Kara said, waving away the offered bottle opener and pulling the cap off with her fingers. “Is everything okay?” 

“Why don't you sit down,” Alex said, ignoring the question. “I think I need to tell you something.” 

Kara went to the couch and sat down cautiously, her eyes remaining fixed on her sister’s face. 

“What is it?” she asked again. “Are you okay? Your heart is racing.” 

Alex swallowed hard and tried to calm down. Ordinarily she might have told Kara to stop listening to her heartbeat and that it was an invasion of her privacy, but her heart _was_ racing and she _was _nervous_. _She wiped a single sweat-slick palm on the leg of her pants and headed towards the couch to sit next to her. Just before sitting, she abruptly changed her mind and dropped down onto the tile hearth of her fireplace. 

“Alex?” Kara prompted, rolling her beer bottle nervously between her hands. Her sister’s silence was making her a little uneasy. "What is it?" 

“I have to tell you something,” she said. “It’s not really a big thing. I mean, it’s barely a thing at all. It’s small, really. Microscopic.” 

Alex licked her bottom lip and took another breath. 

“You know Lena,” she said. “Of course, you know Lena. She’s your best friend. What am I —” 

Kara looked stricken and sat up straighter on the couch. 

“Did something happen to her? Was it that package she got?” 

Alex furrowed her brow in confusion. 

“What? Oh! No, nothing like that. Lena’s fine. She's... she's great,” she said. “I just asked her out. We’re going to dinner together tonight.” 

Kara shook her head as if she was trying to clear water from her ears. She didn't hear Alex right. She couldn't have. 

"You... you asked out Lena? On like a date?" she asked, dumbstruck. "You're going out, on a _date_, with Lena. Lena _Luthor_? _My _Lena?" 

Alex nodded and watched as Kara got off the couch and began to pace slightly between the couch and kitchen island. 

"Oh my god," she breathed. "You're going on a date with Lena. Wait. She's gay?" 

Alex took another swallow of her beer and tipped the bottle casually in her sister's direction. 

"Well, I don't exactly make a habit of dating straight women, Kara," she replied. 

Kara shook her head again but returned to the couch and dropped onto it. The reality of what Alex was saying was slowly sinking in. 

"You're dating her?" 

Alex got up from the hearth and sat on the couch next to her sister, drawing her legs up underneath herself. 

"Well, not yet," she said. "I'm taking her to dinner tonight. First date. That's sorta why I called you." 

"Me? Why me?" 

Alex sighed. 

"Because I realized that not only do I absolutely suck at keeping secrets from you, but I don't know anything about Lena. But you do," Alex admitted. "I don't know what to wear, where to take her, will she even get on my motorcycle? What does she like to eat? What _doesn't_ she like to eat?" 

"I don't know, Alex," Kara said slowly. "I mean, I know Lena but I don't know how to _date_ Lena." 

Alex shifted on the couch and raised both eyebrows. She pointed with the hand holding her bottle. 

"But you _do_ know Lena," she said excitedly. "She's your best friend. You know what she likes and what doesn't like. Look, Kar, I _like _Lena. At least I think I do. I wanna take her somewhere she'd actually like and won't make me look like some poor, desperate loser who's so out of her league it's not even funny." 

"Oh, Alex," Kara began with a frown. She put a comforting hand on her sister's arm. "You're not out of her league. Anyone would be lucky to go out with you. But Lena? Really? I didn't know you liked her like that." 

Alex shrugged. 

"I think so," she said. "I don't really know her very well but we've spent some time together lately, at Lex's house, the gala, and I'd like to know her better. And, I dunno, Kara, there's something about her. Yeah, I do like her. You know, and maybe...maybe this is nothing. We go out to dinner, have a drink or two, find out we have absolutely nothing in common, and we call it a night. I don't know, but I asked her out and she said yes." 

Kara didn't reply but took a very long swallow of her beer and tried to process what Alex was saying. Her sister liked her best friend and had asked her out on a date. And Lena had said yes. She didn't know what she was supposed to feel about any of this. Kara didn't even know that Lena dated women. What about James? And Jack? She supposed Lena could be bi or pansexual. It didn't really matter to her at all, but the whole situation came as a shock. Her sister and her best friend... She drained her bottle rapidly and set it on the table in front of them. 

"Okay," she said drawing the word out and shifting on the couch, drawing her feet up and turning to look at her sister. "Okay. So, you and Lena are going on a date. Together. Okay. Okay." 

"You keep saying that, but you don't sound okay," Alex observed, setting her bottle down. "Look, Kar, I know this is weird. Lena's your best friend, and I really wanna be stand up about this and say that if you don't want me to date her, I won't. But I really would like to date her. If you're not okay with it, though..." 

"No, no," Kara said. "I'm okay with this. Really. If you like Lena, you should go out with her. It's none of my business. Besides, if it works out, I could have two sisters who are my best friends." 

Alex put a hand up in a warding off gesture. She was very glad she'd set her drink down or her sister may have been covered in beer just then. 

"Woah, woah," she said. "Cart before the horse, here, Kara. You sound just like Mom. Can I first take Lena on a date before you start planning our wedding?" 

"Okay," Kara agreed. She paused and thought for a minute. "Don't worry about sweeping Lena off her feet. Everyone tries to do that and you'll notice that she's hardly ever in a relationship. She's just like everyone else —" 

"Oh yeah, sure," Alex agreed with a sarcastic edge to her voice. "Brilliant billionaire CEO who owns her own private jet. She's like every other girl I've ever dated. Definitely." 

Kara frowned. 

"I'm serious! If you want to impress Lena, don't try to... I don't know... _woo_ her with a fancy restaurant. Be yourself," Kara advised. "She'll definitely get on your motorcycle – Lena's not afraid of anything except failure and disappointing people – but make sure you have a helmet for her. She won't even look at your bike if she doesn't think it's safe. And dinner? Take her for burgers. Make it simple." 

"Burgers," Alex repeated as if Kara was just messing with her. "You're kidding." 

"No, I'm serious," Kara replied. "She _loves_ Big Belly Burger." 

Alex shook her head. 

"I am not taking Lena Luthor out on our first date to a fast food joint, Kara," she said. "Please, be serious. That's not a date." 

Kara rolled her eyes. 

"Okay, fine. But that's one of her favorite things," Kara insisted. She adjusted her glasses slightly and slumped further into the couch as she tried to think. She suddenly brightened and sat up. "I've got it. First, text Lena. Tell her to dress casual. Jeans, flats – especially if you're going on your bike. This is perfect. I swear. She'll love it." 

*** 

Casual. What did Director Danvers have in mind for her? The texts she'd gotten were vague no matter how hard she'd pressed. Jeans. No heels. What on earth did Alex have planned for her? 

Lena dug through her wardrobe for anything that might fit the bill. It wasn't that Lena didn't have jeans, she did, but she couldn't remember the last first date she'd gone on that didn't involve some kind of formal wear and reservations to one of the better restaurants in the city. Never jeans. Alex Danvers was just full of surprises. 

She pulled a pair of dark wash jeans from a shelf and tugged them on, turning to admire the way they hugged her hips and showed off her ass. Next, she pulled a soft gray v-neck t-shirt off a hanger and put it on. She studied her appearance in the full-length mirror. It was definitely casual, and she just hoped it wasn't too casual. Lena grabbed a black leather jacket and a green sweater from hangers and carried both to the living room. She’d top off her outfit once she saw what her date was wearing. 

Her date. Alex Danvers was her date. She could hardly believe it. She was going on a date with her best friend’s sister. A wave of nervous excitement surged through her, and Lena returned to her closet, settling on a pair of black riding boots that reached mid-calf but met Alex’s “no heels" directive. They also served to make her very casual outfit a little less casual. 

Lena checked the time. Alex would be there soon and she was hit by a sudden case of nerves. She'd never dated a friend before, let alone someone who was related to another friend. She let out a long, slow breath as she filled a wine glass with just enough merlot to take the edge off and then carried the glass to the bathroom to figure out what to do with her hair. 

She was in the middle of a serious debate with herself over pulling her hair back or leaving it down when she heard a knock at the door. 

_Leave it down_, she decided but slipped a hair elastic over her wrist. _Just in case_. 

Lena went to the door and peered through the peephole to see Alex Danvers shifting nervously back and forth on her feet with her back to the door. She quickly worked the lock and opened the door. 

Alex spun around when she heard the door open. She held a bouquet of plumerias and had a large smile on her face. 

“Hey Lena,” she said, doing everything she could to not rock awkwardly back and forth on her feet as she offered the flowers. “You look great.” 

“Plumerias! My favorite!” she exclaimed, returning Alex’s smile and accepting the bouquet. Lena stepped aside to let her date enter the penthouse, noticing Alex's casual attire. The director had also donned a pair of dark blue jeans, hers of the skinny variety, and a maroon scoop-necked t-shirt underneath her black leather jacket. 

“And thank you. You said casual but I wasn't sure how casual casual was.” 

“Well, you look perfect,” Alex replied and made a mental note to thank Kara for the floral assist. 

Lena blushed as she turned towards her kitchen in search of a vase. She cast a coy glance at Alex as she filled the vase with water and dropped the flowers in. 

"So, where are you taking me, Director Danvers?" she asked. 

Alex smiled softly as she leaned against the doorframe. 

"Why don't you come with me and find out?" 

*** 

Getting Lena on the back of her bike was easier than Alex thought it would be. The CEO immediately spotted the Ducati parked in front of her building and had looked from Alex back to the bike and back to Alex. 

"Your motorcycle," she said plainly. It wasn't a question, just a statement of fact. "How did you... the flowers...?" 

"I can't give up all my secrets in one night," Alex replied with a wink and a grin but then faltered. Kara had assured her that Lena would be okay with her bike, that she actually enjoyed the dangerous power and speed of it, but what if her sister had been wrong? "Is this okay?" 

Lena's eyes sparkled with excitement and her grin broadened. For a moment, she looked childlike as if she'd been led into a candy store and was told she could have anything and everything she wanted. 

"Hell yes, it is," she replied enthusiastically and then fixed Alex with a more serious look. "As long as you have a helmet for me?" 

Alex went quickly to the rear of her bike and retrieved the spare helmet from where it had been secured under the seat by d-rings. She handed it to Lena and waited to help her with it but quickly saw it wasn't necessary. Lena was settling the helmet on her head like a seasoned rider. Alex licked her lips and cleared her throat. She hadn't been fully prepared for the sight of Lena wrapped in black leather with a motorcycle helmet on her head. It was one of the sexiest things she'd ever seen, and she'd seen Lena in that mermaid-style gown at the gala. She shoved her own helmet down over her head before reaching over and pushing a button on the side of Lean's helmet until it glowed a light blue and then pressed an identical-looking button on her own helmet. 

"Intercom," she explained once she was sure both were working. "That way we can still talk over the engine noise." 

Alex swung a leg over the bike and slid forward, making sure to leave enough room for her passenger. Lena hesitated for just a moment and then put a hand on Alex's shoulder to steady herself as she threw a leg over the bike. Alex felt her scoot forward until they were pressed front to back, and she prayed Lena couldn't feel the way her heart had begun to race at the contact. She swallowed hard a moment later when Lena's arms snaked around her waist to hold on tightly. 

"You ever ride before?" Alex asked as she started the engine, silently cursing herself for not asking sooner. 

"Not really, but there's a first time for everything, right?" came Lena's confident reply. 

Alex took a deep breath to encourage her body to calm down. 

"Okay then," she said. "The bike has a lot of power behind it, so don't be afraid to really grab on – especially on acceleration. It's okay. I'll be careful, but just hold on to me. Keep your feet on the foot pegs, and you'll be clear of the wheel. And, uh, just follow my body when I move." Her cheeks burned when she said this last bit and she wished she had phrased that differently. 

Lena either didn't notice the suggestive phrasing or didn't care. She nodded, her helmet bumping into the back of Alex's and she let out a small laugh at the thud and realized Alex couldn't see her. 

"Hold on to you, feet on the pegs, and move with you," she repeated, shifting closer to Alex and adjusting her grip on the director's waist. "Got it." 

“Ready?” Alex asked as she moved to roll the accelerator. 

“Let’s go.” 

*** 

As Alex turned away from the lights of National City and towards the coastal highway, Lena raised a curious eyebrow. She'd already figured they weren't heading for some fancy restaurant with overzealous waitstaff when Alex had said "casual," but she couldn't imagine where they could be heading. 

“We’re almost there,” Alex said through the intercom after they'd driven at least 10 miles. “Promise.” 

True to her word, Alex backed off the accelerator a few moments later and eased the bike onto a dirt road. When the path ahead finally came to a dead end, she braked carefully, bringing the motorcycle to a stop and dropping the kickstand. Lena slowly unwrapped her arms from around her waist, and Alex felt a momentary sense of loss as her passenger got off. 

Alex climbed off her motorcycle and turned towards Lena who was pulling the helmet off her head, loose strands of hair becoming unruly. When she was finally free, she handed the helmet back to Alex and finger combed her hair as the two helmets were secured to the seat. 

“So, where are we exactly? I thought we were going to dinner,” Lena asked, looking around at the obvious lack of restaurant. 

Alex grinned and offered Lena her hand. 

“Do you trust me?” 

There was a brief second that Alex was certain Lena was going to say no and demand to be taken back to the city, to a restaurant with waitstaff and bottles of wine. Instead the CEO glanced around again, gave a small nod, and took Alex’s hand. 

“Yes,” she said, surprising herself. 

Alex led them down a short pathway, packed dirt turning into grass and wildflowers as they walked through a dense grove of trees. Lena thought she smelled salt water and was almost certain she heard the sound of waves. Up ahead faint light flickered. 

Lena looked at Alex with a question on her lips but the director just squeezed her hand reassuringly and continued to their destination. The trees finally gave way and Lena found herself on a small secluded beach. A blanket had been spread over the sand and soft candles illuminated the area. 

“Did you do this?” Lena asked. “How?” 

Alex ushered her date to the waiting blanket and then busied herself with a basket that had been left, removing two glasses and a bottle filled with amber liquid. She turned back to Lena and grinned, offering her one of the glasses and pouring two fingers of Glenlivet. She filled her own glass and sat down beside Lena, stretching her legs the length of the blanket. 

“I might have had a little help,” she admitted with a slight blush and took a swallow of the Scotch. 

“Supergirl,” Lena smiled. 

“Yeah,” Alex agreed. “I had to tell her we were going out. It’s really hard for me to lie to Kara. I mean she does that x-ray vision thing and uses her super hearing and she can just tell when I’m keeping something from her.” 

“Lucky her,” Lena murmured and sipped her Scotch. She quickly recovered and shook her head. They were on a date. This was not the time to talk about Kara and her own emotional baggage. “I’m sorry, Alex. Supergirl is still a bit of a sore spot. I love Kara. I do. She’s always been a great friend to me, but the deception. It’s still painful.” 

Alex frowned. She’d been afraid Lena hadn’t gotten over Kara’s lie, and she couldn't help but feel guilty for the role she'd played in keeping her sister's secret identity a secret. 

“You know she only kept it from you to protect you, right?” Alex asked carefully. “The more people that know who she is, that she's Supergirl, the more danger everyone is in." 

"You mean the more danger _she's_ in." 

"No," Alex said, shaking her head and frowning, directing her full attention to Lena. "I mean, that's part of it. It's dangerous for her, yeah. But, here's the thing. Kara can't tell people who she is. It puts the people she cares about in immediate danger. We become pawns. Targets. We get kidnapped and tortured and used as blackmail. If you don't know who she is, you're not a useful target. You're safe." 

She paused and watched Lena's expression soften slightly but there was still more that needed to be said. If she could have avoided the subject entirely, Alex would have. Lena's relationship with Kara wasn't exactly the number one topic on her list of first date conversations. She sighed. 

"It's more than that, though, Lena," Alex continued. "You're one of Kara's favorite people. You're her family. She didn't tell you because she didn't know how. When most people meet Kara they're meeting Supergirl. They don't meet Kara; they don't come to game night or have lunch with her. But you do. And the closer you got, the harder it was for her to tell you. 'Oh, by the way Lena, I know we hang out all the time but I'm Supergirl and I just couldn't tell you.' There was never going to be a good time to tell you. She agonized over not telling you. She didn't want to keep it a secret from you." 

“But you and James and Winn?” 

Alex set her glass down on the sand and looked Lena in the eyes. 

“James knew because he's best friends with Clark and Clark wanted James to keep an eye on her. And Winn knows because when Kara used her powers to save that plane, she was so excited she told him. Me? I grew up with Kara,” she said. “We used to sneak out at night and go flying. When your parents adopt an alien from Krypton, it’s hard to not know." 

"Did Maggie know?" Lena asked, instantly regretting mentioning Alex's former fiancée when she saw the other woman flinch at the mention. 

Alex nodded. 

"No one told her. She figured it out," she admitted. "But it doesn't matter who knows what. I know Kara. She wanted to tell you so many times, and if she thought she could without endangering you or upsetting you, she would have. You're her best friend, her family. That's why I had to tell her I asked you out. You're important to her and if this went bad... I couldn't do that to her. I couldn't ask her to choose between her family.” 

Lena took another swallow of Scotch as she took all of this in. It was a much deeper conversation than she wanted to have on her first date with Alex Danvers. She shook her head slightly with a slight smile. 

“I’m sorry, Alex, let's not talk about this,” she said. “This is a date and this is decidedly very un-date-like conversation. I'm sorry. I don’t want to talk about it. I’d rather talk about this beautiful woman I’m with and the evening she's planned.” 

Crimson creeped up Alex’s neck and her cheeks grew hot. She swallowed hard and cleared her throat. All of the plans she'd painstakingly made with Kara for the date seemed to slip out of her mind and she blinked a few times to try to refocus. 

“Well, if you're hungry, I did promise dinner,” she said and nodded towards the basket at the edge of the blanket. 

Lena looked at the basket and frowned, turning back to Alex. 

“You didn’t cook, did you?” she asked playfully. “I’ve heard the stories.” 

Alex couldn't contain her smile. It felt like it was about to take over her entire face. 

“Why don’t you take a look?” she suggested, leaning back on her elbows and taking another sip of Scotch as she tried to act nonchalant. 

Lena hesitated before crawling towards the basket. She was certain she heard Alex’s breath hitch and she spent a little longer than necessary on her hands and knees, dragging the basket along with her. If Alex was staring at her ass, she might as well let her get a good look. She sat back and set the basket in her lap, glancing over at her date who just gave her an encouraging nod. Lena flipped the basket open and laughed heartily in surprise and delight. 

“Big Belly Burger!” she cried. “I think you just became _my _favorite person. I love Big Belly Burger.” 

Alex made another mental note to thank Kara. She owed her so many potstickers for helping her arrange all of this. 

“I might have heard a rumor about that,” Alex replied. 

Lena set to work emptying the basket of still warm fast food. She’d have to thank Kara. It was obvious she'd helped Alex with their date, but it was sweet. Alex had clearly asked about her favorite things and then tried to put together a perfect evening. 

“You know,” Lena said, taking a bite of her burger, “I’m surprised.” 

Alex tipped her head slightly and looked at Lena curiously. 

“Surprised?” 

“Well, yeah,” Lena replied as if it should have been obvious. “You know every date I go on is the same. Roses, fancy car, fancy restaurant, _very _expensive wine, cheesy pickup lines. It’s starting to feel like there's a handbook or something. A Starter Guide to Dating Lena Luthor. But this? You? It’s different.” 

Alex swallowed the French fries she’d shoved in her mouth. 

“Different good or different, oh god, this date is a disaster?” 

The younger woman seemed to consider this for a minute and Alex shifted uncomfortably. Lena finally smiled and put a hand on Alex’s shoulder, teasingly pushing her backwards. 

“Different wonderful,” she admitted. “I didn't even know there was a beach this close to the city.” 

Alex breathed a sigh of relief and began unwrapping her own burger. 

"I found it when I moved here from Seattle," she explained and took a bite. 

"I thought you went to NCU and then Stanford?" Lena asked, covering her mouth to hide the very unladylike way she was greedily shoving onion rings into her mouth. 

Alex nodded. 

"I did. Both," she said. "Right after NCU I went to Stanford. I was going to be a researcher like my mom and I wound up heading up to Seattle. I was wandering." 

"Well, everyone takes a little time to find themselves after university," Lena said, not wanting to pry. "If it weren't for my family's business, I'm not sure where I might have gone after uni." 

"Yeah. Something like that," Alex agreed quietly. She took another bite of hamburger and chewed carefully before continuing. "But anyway, after J'onn recruited me to the DEO I was back in National City, and I was trying to put my life back together. I'd get on my bike and just ride. One day I was feeling kinda homesick for Midvale and the beach and I would have given just about anything to get on a board and head out into the water. I found this place. It's just an inlet and I've never really seen anyone else here. Sometimes, I come here just because its quiet. Peaceful. I can think." 

Lena followed Alex's gaze towards where the waves crashed lightly onto the sand. It was a peaceful spot. There weren't many places in her life that were like this. Most of her days were ruled by constant meetings, emails, lab work, noise, and chaos. This little beach inlet, however, was quiet and calming. She could see why Alex liked it here and was touched that she would share her sanctuary with her. Impulsively, she leaned over and kissed her lightly on the cheek. 

Alex turned to her, surprised. 

"Thank you for bringing me here," Lena said. "For sharing it with me." 

The director smiled. 

"You're welcome," she replied. 

"So, how big is this beach?" Lena asked, crumpling up the packaging from her dinner. 

"Not big," Alex said. "Half mile, maybe?" 

Lena got to her feet and brushed imaginary specks of sand from her jeans. She looked towards the waterfront and back at Alex who was still sitting on the blanket and held a hand out. 

"Walk it with me?" 

*** 

Alex's mind was in overdrive the entire ride back to Lena's penthouse. What had sounded like a ridiculous plan when Kara pitched it, had turned out to be a perfect plan. The flowers, the burgers, the picnic on the beach. They'd been absolutely perfect. 

_Potstickers_, Alex thought. She owed her sister a million potstickers. A million and one. 

It was one of the most relaxed and low-pressure first dates she'd ever been on, and Lena seemed to have liked it. To be perfectly honest, Alex had worried she'd take one look at her motorcycle and the fast food hamburgers and French fries and insist on going home. Instead, she'd enthusiastically boarded the bike, scarfed down an impressive amount of food, and walked the beach with her, holding her hand the whole way. 

When they returned to their picnic spot to extinguish the candles and summon Supergirl to whisk the basket and blanket away, Lena had caught her completely off-guard, grabbing both of her hands and looking so deep into her eyes, Alex had forgotten where she was. She didn't think she'd ever forget that kiss. It hadn't lasted more than 30 seconds, but it felt like an eternity. An eternity that Alex would gladly live over and over again. 

Lena's soft lips brushing against her own and the feeling Lena's hands moving to caress the side of her face was permanently engrained in her brain now. Alex had tried to suppress the slight moan, but it'd escaped when Lena nipped her bottom lip gently as they broke apart. 

Everything that came after was a blur. Alex was certain they'd left the blanket and basket behind, and she knew she'd texted Kara if only because her phone had vibrated in her pocket no fewer than a dozen times since they started driving back to National City. There was no doubt Kara was dying to know how it went. Alex had no idea whose idea it was to leave or how she'd even mustered the self-control to not pull Lena down onto the blanket and continue kissing her, but somehow, she had. Now, Lena's body was molded to her own as she turned the motorcycle onto Lena's block and pulled to a stop in front of her building. 

She killed the engine and dropped the kickstand, but Lena made no move to release her hold of her waist or to pull away. 

"You have to get up first or we'll tip the bike over." Alex said quietly, not really wanting Lena to get up at all. She'd gladly stay wrapped in Lena's arms all night, although she'd prefer to not be straddling her motorcycle while doing so. 

Lena stirred slightly and drew her arms away from Alex's waist. 

"Right." 

There was movement behind her and then Lena appeared standing on the sidewalk with her helmet tucked under her arm. When Alex didn't pull her own helmet off immediately, Lena reached over and wrapped her knuckles on it lightly. 

"Knock, knock," she teased and waited as the other woman lifted her helmet away. "If you're not in a hurry to go, I have an incredible Macallan 1824 I've been waiting for a reason to open." 

*** 

Lena closed the apartment door behind them and set her purse down on a side table. 

"Lights," she called into the darkened room and the living room slowly became awash in light. "Softer." The lights dimmed slightly and the harsh white lights that Lena would have used while reading or working from home took on a warmer tone. 

"Please, make yourself comfortable," she said and turned towards a small bar in the corner of the room. "I'll grab that Macallan." 

Alex stood in the middle of the room and turned around slowly. Lena's penthouse was gorgeous and huge, almost as if it'd been ripped from the pages of an interior design magazine. She slowly made her way to the large window overlooking the city and gasped. The entire city was on view. Lights from skyscrapers and streetlights twinkled against the darkened sky. 

"Holy shit, Lena," she breathed. "This is probably the best view in the whole city. It's incredible." 

Lena stood a few feet behind Alex, bottle of Macallan and two glasses in hand, and tipped her head to the side as she looked Alex up and down. She smiled seductively as she approached. 

"I agree," she said. "It's a great view." 

Alex turned at the sound of Lena's voice and immediately turned twenty shades of red as she realized what the younger woman was looking at. Lena held out one of the glasses for Alex and then turned back to her sofa. She situated herself on the pristine white couch, crossing her legs, but never taking her eyes off of the director. 

"You're not going to make me drink alone, are you?" she asked with a slight pout and set the bottle down on the glass top table. 

"This place is incredible," Alex said as started towards the couch. "I'm almost afraid to touch anything." 

Lena patted the cushion next to her and smiled. 

"I hope that's not true," she said. "Sit. Please." 

Alex sat and returned Lena's smile but shook her head slightly as she fought to keep yet another blush from rising. She sipped the expensive Scotch that the CEO had poured for them and then immediately took another, larger swallow. It was easily the best Scotch she'd ever tasted. 

"You're evil," she said with a laugh. 

Lena's mouth fell open in shock but it quickly evaporated into a smile. 

"You blush easily," she replied and sipped at her own drink. "So, what do you think of the Macallan?" 

"It's great," Alex replied. 

"I figured a great Scotch was appropriate for a great night," Lena said. "I had a really nice time tonight. Thank you. I suppose I should probably thank Kara, too." 

Alex took another sip of her Scotch and realized how quickly she'd drained her glass. The Macallan went down much easier than it should. She shrugged. 

"I know the last few weeks have been rough with everything that's happened," Alex told her. "Even If this doesn't work out with us, I still wanted to make sure you at least had one great night." 

Lena reached for the bottle of Macallan and poured three fingers of the Scotch into her glass before filling Alex's as well. 

"What's the verdict then, Director Danvers?" Lena asked. The playful edge in her voice had faded and Alex thought she saw a glimmer of insecurity pass her face as a wall slowly started to go up inside of the other woman. 

Alex took another swallow of her Scotch and licked her lips as she considered her words carefully. 

"I had a really great time with you tonight. Like a really, really great time," she said sincerely. "When I talked to Kara about where I should take you and she suggested burgers, I thought she was nuts. What kind of first date involves burgers and fries, right? But this was the best date I've been on in a very long time. I'd like to do it again. If you wanted to, of course." 

Lena visibly relaxed and the smile returned. 

"I would love to," she said, setting her drink aside, and pausing before leaning forward and plucking he glass from Alex's hands and setting it beside her own. She took both of the director's hands in her own and ran a thumb over her knuckles. "But I need to apologize to you." 

"Apologize?" Alex asked, her voice rising an octave. This was it. Lena was apologizing for agreeing to the date and leading her on. She had no interest in seeing her like this again. "For what?" 

"On the beach, I shouldn't have kissed you like that," she said. "I was so overwhelmed by how nice the evening was and how thoughtful you'd been. I felt like I was just a regular girl on a regular date. Just Lena. Not a Luthor. Just me. And I took your hands, just like this, and I kissed you. But you didn't deserve that." 

Alex was shaking her head. 

"Lena, you have nothing to apologize for. It _was_ a great date, and it doesn't matter to me if your last name is Luthor or Jones or Smith. I like you. A lot," she said and scooted closer until their knees were touching. "That kiss... I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. I don't know how I even drove us back here without driving off the road. It was a really good kiss." 

Lena smiled sheepishly at Alex. It was her turn to shake her head. 

"It was a really good kiss," she agreed. "But I'm afraid I've always been something of an overachiever. I think I can do better." 

Their second kiss lasted longer than their first, and this time it was Alex who pulled her hands free from the other woman's grasp. Her left hand dropped to Lena's hip while her right brushed errant strands of hair from the CEO's face. She marveled at how soft Lena's lips were against her own as she sank into the kiss, lips molding together as Lena's hands tangled in her short hair. 

The ringing of a cellphone finally forced them apart and Alex fumbled for her phone while struggling to catch her breath. 

"It's probably Kara. I've been ignoring her texts and she's probably losing her mind waiting to hear how tonight went," she said apologetically. Alex looked down at the screen and frowned. "It's the DEO. I have to take this. I'm so sorry." 

Alex got up from the couch and put a few feet between them. If she stayed on the couch with Lena, she was afraid she'd get distracted. 

"Danvers," she said, accepting the call. Alex listened for a moment. "Brainy, slow down. What?" She paused and let him continue. "How?" Another pause. "Okay, never mind. It doesn't matter. We're on our way. Call Supergirl." 

Alex disconnected the call and jammed the phone into her pocket. She looked to Lena who was watching her with concern on her face. 

"Is everything okay?" she asked. 

"We have to go. I'll explain on the way, but we need to get out of here right now." 


	10. Assassins, Bounties, and Contracts  (aka, The ABC's of Killing a Luthor)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took me too long to write and I don't know why. It just never felt "right." I don't know. I think it's okay now. We'll see.

When Alex disconnected the call, she should have told Lena something. Instead she just insisted they leave immediately; there was no time for long drawn out explanations. Brainy had been extremely clear: an assassin was on the way to make good on the promise in the note sent to Lena's office.

Alex's first instinct had been to hold her ground. She may have been out of uniform, but that didn't mean she was unarmed. Her backup pistol was tucked away inside a zipped interior pocket of her jacket. Failing that, she'd spotted some serious looking knives in a block in Lena's kitchen. She could do some major damage with them if necessary.

But Brainy's further explanation had changed her mind completely. The assassin was a human-dominator hybrid. With the super strength, bullet resistance, and telepathy of a dominator, Alex and Lena wouldn't stand a chance. Once she realized the severity of the situation, she'd cut Brainy off and told him to call Supergirl. She needed to get Lena somewhere safe immediately, and the best place she could think of was the DEO.

To her credit, Lena didn't ask questions. She grabbed her keys, threw her jacket on, and followed Alex out the door to where the director was standing in front of the elevator, rapidly mashing the call button over and over again and swearing under her breath.

"Alex," Lena said softly and put a calming hand over hers. Alex stilled at her touch, her fingers still on the button, and waited for the doors to open.

The elevator ride from the penthouse to the ground floor seemed extraordinarily slow, and Alex was starting to wonder if there had been stairs. She could have run the stairs faster than the elevator was moving. As she drummed her fingers nervously on her leg, she glanced over at Lena. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking. The CEO's face was an emotionless mask as she stared straight ahead at the gold elevator doors, but Alex wagered she was confused and possibly frightened. Everything she was doing was to keep Lena safe, but the call from the DEO and her sudden insistence on leaving was probably not helpful. She took several deep breaths and tried to calm her own racing pulse.

"When we get to the ground level, I'm running to the bike," Alex said calmly. "We need to go as quickly as possible."

Lena finally looked at Alex, arms crossed over her chest and her face still blank.

"What is going on, Alex? Are you going to tell me or are you just going to stand there and be cryptic? I trust you, but I'd like to know why we went from kissing on my couch to running."

Alex snuck a glance at the floor indicator. There were four more floors to go, and Alex wondered how old the elevator was. Why was it going so slowly? She licked her lips and nodded solemnly.

"Brainy and some of the guys in the lab have been digging into the package that was sent to your office," she said. "I didn't get the details - there wasn't time - so I don't know exactly how or why but there's an assassin on his way here —"

"An assassin?" Lena repeated, a slight hint of concern in her voice. "What? Why?"

The floor indicator flashed. Two more floors.

"It's a human-dominator hybrid. Super strong and telepathic. Brainy thinks whoever sent the package hired it," she said. "I have a gun with me, but it won't stop a dominator."

Another floor crept past. Alex nodded towards the indicator.

"When we hit the ground floor, we have to go. Get to my bike as fast as you can."

Lena nodded.

"Okay."

Alex was surprised by Lena's speed. She hadn't really expected the woman to sprint from the elevator when the doors finally slid open, but she beat Alex to the motorcycle by a fraction of a second and was already jamming a helmet on her head. Alex grabbed her own helmet as she jumped onto the bike and secured it down, activating the intercom as she started the engine.

"Ready?"

Lena's arms tightened around her waist for the third time that day and she pressed herself tightly against her back.

"Go."

***

J'onn, Brainy, Vasquez, and Supergirl were waiting at the DEO's command center when Alex came racing down the stairs with Lena just a step behind her.

"What's going on?" she asked as she headed towards the group, breaking up their conversation.

"Alex," Kara said, relief in her voice. She rushed over to her sister and wrapped her in a hug, burying her face in her neck.

"Kar," Alex squeaked. "Human. Too tight."

Kara released her super hug and turned to Lena and wrapped her in a similar, but slightly less bone-crushing hug.

"Lena," she said. "We were so worried. Brainy called and told us about the bounty."

Lena cocked an eyebrow and gave Alex a suspicious glance.

"The bounty? What bounty?" she asked. "Alex just said there was a... a dominator?"

Alex shook her head as she strode across the room to the command central console where Brainy and Vasquez were pouring over a computer screen.

"I have no idea," she replied. "Honest, Lena. Brainy said 'assassin' not bounty."

Brainy looked up and blanched slightly but recovered quickly.

"If you had let me explain," he began and frowned, an expression of hurt taking over his face. "You said it didn't matter and then told me to call Supergirl. Then you hung up on me."

Alex took a step towards Brainy, closing the short distance between them and returned his frown. Instead of hurt, however, her face was clouded by rapidly mounting frustration.

"You said a human-dominator hybrid was on its way to Lena's penthouse, and I needed to get her out of there as soon as possible," she insisted hotly, glancing back towards Lena. Her temper was rising more quickly than usual and her protective instinct had already kicked into high gear.

"That's true," Brainy bristled. He hadn't noticing how rapidly the director's patience was thinning. "And your accelerated departure was necessary, I assure you. But if you'd let me explain more fully instead of hanging up—"

J'onn stepped between them, pushing them apart lightly with one hand, as he noticed Alex's right hand twitch into a fist. She was doing everything she could to hold onto her self-control.

"Enough," he said firmly and both Alex and Brainy took a step backwards. "Now, Alex, Lena we're glad you're both here and that you're safe. We've got perimeters set up around the DEO to alert us of possible danger but right now, Ms. Luthor should be safe here."

Lena shook her head and looked sternly at J'onn.

"I'm not staying at the DEO," she said flatly. "Alex said we needed to go because there was an assassin, so I left, but I won't stay here. I have a business to run."

As she spoke, Kara nudged Alex in the ribs with an elbow and pointed to the corner her own mouth. Alex furrowed her brow in confusion and shook her head. She had no idea what Kara was trying to tell her.

"Lipstick," she mouthed at her older sister and pointed again, trying to draw as little attention as possible.

"What?" Alex mouthed back.

"Lipstick," Kara tried again, mouthing the word in a more pronounced manner.

Alex shook her head again.

"What?"

"Lipstick, darling. You have my lipstick on your face." Lena explained in mild exasperation, interrupting the conversation she was having with the former director and drawing all eyes to Alex. She continued on with barely a pause. "Someone tell me something about this assassin. Who sent him?"

Alex blushed furiously and quickly brought a hand to her face and tried to wipe away the transferred makeup. She didn't know which was more embarrassing, getting caught with Lena's red lipstick smudged on her lips, everyone now staring at her as she wiped away said lipstick, or that Lena had so casually called her darling. They hadn't even finished their first date.

"That we don't know yet," J'onn admitted, redirecting attention back to his conversation with Lena. He tried to hide the smile that was creeping onto his face at Alex's expense. A lot had seemingly changed since his conversation with Danvers earlier in the day. 

Lena was shaking her head. Her own frustration and annoyance lurked just below the surface.

"What _do_ you know then? Because I was in the middle of a lovely evening that was interrupted because an alien assassin was on his way to my penthouse, but no one seems to know anything beyond that."

J'onn put up a placating hand. Somehow he'd found himself in charge of this situation.

"Ms. Luthor—"

"Lena."

"Lena," he corrected. "I know this is frustrating, but let me explain what's happening. Alex came to me earlier today with the vial she’d taken from your office at L-Corp. The DEO’s been looking into it but not having much luck identifying its contents. Brainy was able to determine that it had Kryptonian elements but not much else."

Brainy began to interrupt to defend his findings but one look from Alex and J'onn silenced him, and he sat down in a nearby chair.

"I told Alex I'd ask around for her so I talked to a few of my contacts," J'onn said. "I discovered that on Durla, its customary to sign a bounty contract using elements found on the home planet of the intended target's champion."

Kara raised a hand and frowned.

"I think that's me," she said with a slight shrug. "Champion of Earth."

"That _would_ explain the use of blue Kryptonite," Brainy said thoughtfully.

"Blue Kryptonite? I thought that was synthetic," Lena said, frowning and looking to Alex for confirmation.

The director shook her head.

"No," she replied. "It’s naturally occurring on Krypton, but I was able to synthesize it here for the fight against Bizarro."

Lena nodded.

“And what about the, what did you say it was, Alex? Gelatin?”

“That's only part of it,” J'onn said. "My contact says traditionally, whoever issues the initial bounty will mix the champion’s element, Kryptonite in this case, with their own blood or saliva. The first bounty hunter that accepts the contract signs the contract using this mixture and then adds an element from its own planet of origin. The resulting combination is then sent to the target as notice of impending death. In this case, the combination is acting like gelatin.”

"So, who sent it? It must be an alien then, right?” Lena asked, completely nonplussed by the news of the contract and bounty. She was a Luthor, after all. Contracts and bounties felt extremely normal in a very unfortunate way.

"That we don't know just yet," J'onn said. "Brainy and Vasquez are still working on it, but so far we've come up with nothing particularly useful. And just because it’s Durlan tradition doesn’t mean the bounty is Durlanian or has alien origins.”

"And what happens when the dominator fails to kill me?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.

Alex swallowed hard.

"Another bounty hunter will come until the contract is fulfilled," she explained, watching Lena for any sign of outward reaction. There wasn't one.

Lena hmmed and then shook her head.

"Then we need to find out who put the bounty on me and kill him first," she said matter-of-factly. "I'm not going to just sit here while some faceless coward sends wave after wave of bounty hunters after me because of something my family did. You said the vial should contain blood or saliva. Let me have it. I'll run the DNA tests on it.”

Vasquez spoke for the first time.

“We’re already working on it, but the alien elements aren't separating,” she explained. “It’s like their molecular structures have bonded. It's created like an alien Superglue”

“I’ll take a look,” Alex said. “Between Lena and I we should be able to reduce the elements and separate out whatever trace DNA exists.”

“It’s already in the centrifuge,” Brainy said. “Former Director J'onzz asked us to do that immediately when he arrived at the DEO with word from his contact.”

Lena folded her arms and narrowed her eyes at him. It'd taken Alex 15 minutes to get to the DEO from her penthouse. She assumed J'onn had been at the DEO even longer. 

“How long?”

“It’s been in for nearly 45 minutes,” he replied sheepishly.

Both Lena and Alex reacted immediately and almost identically. Eyebrows shot up and deep frowns formed.

“That’s too long!” Alex nearly shouted. “You need to get it out of there.”

“It’s not working,” J’onn said. “That's why its still running.”

Lena shook her head. Her outburst was substantially calmer and more restrained than the director's.

“But you’ll destroy the sample. Take me to it.”

“Lena, I —” Brainy began.

“Take me to it,” she repeated, enunciating each word carefully and sharply cutting the agent off.

“Me too,” Alex said. "Right now."

***

Two hours had passed since Alex and Lena entered the lab at the Department of Extranormal Operations to begin work on examining and breaking down the contents of the vial. As they’d feared, the sample in the centrifuge had lost most of its integrity but had not separated out into its individual elements. Alex had pulled it from the centrifuge and added the nearly destroyed sample to a slide and was peering at it through a microscope while Lena worked with a micro pipette on another small sample taken directly from the original vial.

She set the pipette down with a sigh and turned around to watch Alex working at the adjacent lab bench. The director’s hands moved swiftly, making adjustments and scrawling notations, but she never took her eyes away from the microscope. Lena was struck by the beautiful complexity that was Alex Danvers. In addition to being an expert marksman and highly skilled in hand to hand combat, Alex was a trained scientist, a bio-engineer, holding a doctorate. And to top it off, she was one of the most gorgeous women she knew.

Alex sensed Lena's gaze but didn't look away from the specimen she was working on.

"Any luck?" she asked.

"Not yet," Lena replied. "Vasquez was right. Whatever alien substances were used are creating a glue-like property. I'm not really sure how we go about breaking it apart. Nothing I've tried is working."

Alex sighed and finally pulled away from the microscope. She scribbled another notation on the notepad on the right side of the table.

"This sample is pretty much roached," she said, dropping her pen onto the pad, and reaching up to pinch the bridge of her nose and rub a hand over her tired eyes. "It should have never been in the centrifuge that long. What was Brainy even thinking?"

Lena shrugged as she came around to Alex's side of the bench and leaned back against it.

"Maybe he made a mistake?"

"Brainy is a twelfth-level intellect," Alex said, shaking her head and meeting Lena's eyes. "This is a pretty big oops. He wouldn't have made this kind of a mistake. There had to be a reason for it."

The L-Corp CEO stifled a yawn. Since Kara told her about her secret she hadn't slept much. There'd been that night passed out in a bed at Lex's house and she'd slept for at least three hours the night she returned to National City. On the whole, however, she hadn't been sleeping. Her mind had been incapable of shutting down without a little encouragement from a bottle of Scotch.

Alex glanced down at her watch. It was nearly midnight, and as soon as she noticed the time, she had to fight her own yawn.

"Not exactly how you thought this date was going to end, is it?" she said after a minute.

Lena laughed and shook her head, fighting another yawn. 

"Nothing about this date was what I expected," she replied. "You are full of surprises."

Alex covered her mouth and yawned again. 

"Good surprises?" she asked, eyes sparkling.

"Was that a yawn, Director Danvers?" J'onn asked as he made his way into the lab with Kara and interrupting their conversation.

"No, not at all," Alex lied. "Just stretching. I'll get my second wind any minute now. I just need a few."

"It's been a long day, hasn't it?" he pressed. "We could get you guys set up in some bunks —"

"No," Lena interrupted. "I meant what I said before. I'm not staying here."

Kara looked from Alex to J'onn and then back to Lena. She knew what was about to happen. Lena was refusing to stay at the DEO, but J'onn wouldn't want her to leave the DEO, and if Alex cared about Lena as Kara thought she did, Alex would do anything she could to appease both her former boss and her new girlfriend. If they were girlfriends. Kara wasn't sure. Half a date wasn't exactly enough to declare a relationship. But Alex had shown up with Lena's lipstick smeared on her face so she assumed their date had gone well. Or at least it'd been going well until Alex dragged Lena to the DEO under threat of an assassin.

J'onn was shaking his head.

"I don't think it's wise for you to go back to your penthouse," he said. "Or even L-Corp. Whoever ordered the bounty will look there first."

"I'm not staying at the DEO," Lena insisted. "It's out of the question."

"What about a safehouse?" Kara asked hopefully. "The DEO could put some agents on it and —"

Lena narrowed her eyes and frowned at her friend.

"Kara."

"What? I mean, it's an option, right?"

Alex nodded.

"Yeah, it's definitely an option, if you want it," she said, turning to Lena. "The safehouses aren't glamorous or anything but they're secure. I can send a detail with you. You'll be safe there."

Lena crossed her arms and stared at Alex for a full minute and then looked to Kara. Both women were holding her gaze. She loathed the idea of a safehouse almost as much as she hated the idea of randomly assigned agents tracking her every move. Despite being an intensely public person, Lena cherished her privacy at home. Going to a safehouse, under the watchful eyes of DEO agents, was like taking away her privacy. It felt almost like an invasion, but she knew that the Danvers sisters were only suggesting it because it was the only solution anyone had. Lena wouldn't stay at the DEO and her home and business were off-limits. What options were left? Staying with Alex? That took the U-Haul Lesbians cliché to an extreme.

"What's wrong, Lena?" Alex asked when she didn't respond to their suggestion. She took a step closer to her and lowered her voice so that she was only speaking to her. "I don't know what else to do. I can't let you go home when there's a bounty on your head. You won't stay here, and I don't blame you. The bunks are not great. Trust me. I want to protect you, Lena. Tell me how. Tell me what to do."

Lena looked up into Alex's eyes. For a moment Alex thought she saw fear and uncertainty in them but just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone.

"If you send me to a safehouse, I want you. Not some random agents. You. Or Kara," she said softly, staring into Alex's eyes. "I know you. I trust you. I don't know these agents you want to assign to me. That's my one condition. I'll go to a safehouse because you say it's safe. But I'll only go if you are my detail."


	11. Let's Play (Safe) House

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my last chapter for a little bit. I've got a second ongoing WIP in another fandom that's been woefully neglected while I work on this. I need to put in some serious work on it but haven't been very successful at splitting my writing time between both works. I'll be back soon (maybe a week). Promise.

Glamorous wasn't a word Lena would have even considered as a descriptor for the safehouse the DEO set her up in. It was barely a step above a log cabin and as she leaned closer to investigate the living room's stone fireplace, she wondered if it was even safe to use. When was the last time the DEO sent a chimney sweep out to clear out the creosote? She supposed it didn't matter. There was little to no chance she'd be using it. All she wanted right now was to find a bed where she could lay down and pretend to sleep. The clock ticked closer to 2 a.m. and Lena actually felt tired. Full body exhaustion. If she tried, she thought she might even sleep for more than five minutes at a time.

She stayed dutifully in the living room, walking the tiny perimeter and wondering how long she'd have to stay there while Alex did a full walkthrough of the house and grounds. While it was used exclusively by the DEO to safeguard at-risk witnesses and assets, protocol dictated a full and complete sweep of the property before it could be used. A team of DEO agents had already completed the sweep, but Alex refused to allow Lena to leave the living room until she had completed the sweep herself.

After several long moments, Alex reappeared and holstered her gun. She held her arms out wide and gave Lena a smile.

"Well, this is it," she said. "We're clear."

The CEO looked around the room with a frown.

"This is it," she repeated.

Alex grabbed for one of Lena's hands and tugged her towards the kitchen.

"Look, I know it's not a penthouse or a super ridiculous custom lead-lined faraday cage bizarro-world house in Montecito, but it's okay," Alex said. "Fully stocked kitchen, three bedrooms. Two bathrooms – one of them even has a tub if you want it. I know it's not ideal but it's safe. I can promise you that."

Lena sighed and let Alex lead her through the rest of the house. Sure enough, there were three bedrooms, one of which was a master suite with the promised tub. Maybe the safehouse wouldn't be as bad as she thought. The master suite looked comfortable enough. If only she'd think of it as a weekend getaway instead of the place she’d reluctantly agreed to go while an assassin searched for her. Now she just wished she'd been able to go home first to pack a bag. She was still wearing the jeans, t-shirt, and leather jacket from her date earlier in the evening. The date seemed like it had happened in a whole other lifetime. It was hard to believe that only a few hours earlier she'd been walking a beach hand-in-hand with the woman who was now carrying a gun on her hip and leading her through the safehouse.

"I know what you're thinking," Alex said, stepping in front of the younger woman as she turned to leave the master bedroom. "Wow, Alex Danvers really went all out and stuck me in some rustic, old cabin in the middle of nowhere. How will I ever thank her? Well, I can make this deal a little bit sweeter."

She pulled her phone from her back pocket and tapped the screen and then held it to her ear.

"All clear. Proceed at will," she said cryptically.

Lena raised an eyebrow and opened her mouth to speak but Alex was already moving quickly from the bedroom towards the kitchen where a backdoor opened up to a small deck, disconnecting her mystery phone call as she went. She heard the backdoor open and Lena hurried through the house to see why her DEO protector was opening the door. Her mind had barely registered the small outdoor space when Kara Danvers landed in front of them. She carried a black suitcase in each hand with a duffle bag strapped to her back.

"Thanks, sis," Alex grinned, stepping aside to let Kara enter.

"Hey Lena!" Kara beamed, setting the suitcases down on the kitchen table and shrugging the duffle bag off her shoulders. She tossed it to her sister. "Alex had me go to your penthouse. Don't worry, no one saw me and there was no one around. Anyway, I packed up some stuff for you to make the safehouse feel a little less like a safehouse and more like a house house."

Lena brightened slightly. At least she wouldn't have to sleep in her jeans and she'd be able to brush her teeth. She could hug Kara right now. And Alex. It'd been Alex's idea to send her, after all. She wondered if this was simply standard DEO protocol for protecting and housing assets or maybe Alex had once again put in a little extra effort for her. Either way she felt a swell of affection for the older Danvers sister.

"Thank you," she said sincerely. "Both of you."

Kara turned to Alex who was already rifling through the duffle bag her sister had thrown at her.

"Grabbed you both some clothes for a few days, toothbrush, toothpaste, all that kinds of stuff," she rattled off. "Oh, Alex, I took the new _Nature _from next to your bed. Didn't look like you'd read it yet. Phone charger. Oh! Almost forgot. Here. I couldn’t find the case."

Alex snatched the offered item from her sister's hand before Lena could even get a look at whatever it was and then it was gone, quickly stashed into her bag. She zipped it back up and set it down at her feet.

"This is great, Kara," she said. "Thank you."

The superhero looked around at the cabin with her hands on her hips.

"Is there anything else you guys need?" she asked. "I can do a few flybys or I can stay if you want."

Alex deferred to Lena. She knew the CEO was reluctant to be there and had only agreed to the safehouse if she could pick her security detail. She and Kara were her top choices. If she wanted Supergirl to stay or even do hourly flybys, she'd respect that. More than anything, though, she just wanted to settle in for the night. It'd been a long day full of nervous anxiety which was replaced by gay panic only to finally be replaced with a crisis. What Alex really needed was to sleep.

"Honestly, Kara, I don't think I need anything except sleep," Lena said. "I'm exhausted."

"Right! It's late!" Kara replied, suddenly realizing the time. It occurred to her that Alex and Lena had never actually ended their date, not that she'd had any opportunity to ask her sister about it yet. Their date was still going on and here she was intruding on it. Although, she thought, the date probably ended the moment Brainy called. "Do you want me to go or... stay? Or... You've got Alex here. I could go."

Lena gave a non-committal shrug.

"Stay if you want, but I think we're probably okay," Lena said and struggled to hold back a yawn. "Alex?"

"Why don't you go to bed," Alex replied. "Take the master bedroom. Sleep. I wanna talk to Kara real quick and then I'm gonna crash, too."

Lena looked doubtfully at the director for a moment.

"The master? Are you sure?" she asked.

Alex nodded.

"Yeah, take it," she said, picking up her duffle bag and starting out of the kitchen. She gestured for Kara to follow her. "I'll probably be up and down all night anyway and the other rooms are closer to the doors. You know, just in case."

Lena watched as Alex headed towards the nearest bedroom door and set her bag on the floor just inside before coming back to the kitchen to grab both of the suitcases Kara had flown in from the penthouse. She hefted them easily as she carried them to the master bedroom.

"I could have done that," Lena called after her and started down the short hallway after the director. Kara stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"Hey," she whispered excitedly and looked to make sure Alex was still out of the room. "Wait wait wait. How was your date? I mean, alien assassin aside."

Lena cast a glance to where Alex should be reappearing any moment and then back to her friend. She nodded.

"It was lovely," she said, trying to maintain a neutral expression. She couldn't restrain it, though, and a large smile broke over her face. "No, it was terrific, and I have to thank you, Kara."

"Me?" Kara replied, waving the words away. "I didn't do anything."

"Please," Lena said. "The flowers? Big Belly Burger? That was you. I know it was you."

Kara heard Alex's footfalls in the hall and she ushered Lena back into the living room to buy them a few extra minutes.

"She asked about the things you liked," Kara told her, eyes sparkling. "Alex wanted to make a good impression. I think she really likes spending time with you. And the lipstick? There was kissing!?"

Lena cast one more nervous glance over her shoulder. Alex would be there any moment.

"Twice," she confirmed with a grin.

"OH MY GOD!" Kara yelled and then immediately lowered her voice to a whisper. "You kissed twice?"

Lena nodded and was about to reply when Alex burst into the room, hand on the butt of her gun. Her eyes scanned the room frantically.

"What? What happened? Kara? Why'd you scream?" she asked in her take-charge voice.

Kara shook her head.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly, her mind racing for an explanation. "There was a spider."

Alex dropped her hand away from her gun and frowned, disbelief on her face.

"A spider."

"It was a big spider."

She shook her head and put a hand to her heart.

"I swear, Kara, you almost gave me a heart attack," Alex said, letting out a sigh. "I thought something happened."

"Sorry," Kara repeated. She gestured to the door behind her. "But I'm gonna go. You know, giant spiders and all. I'll do a flyover and check the area but I'll let you guys sleep. It’s late. I'll come back in the morning. Call me if you need me?"

Alex followed Kara to the door. She was still shaking her head.

"The spider will probably still be here in the morning, ya know" she told her but gave her sister a knowing look. There was no spider. She'd bet anything that Kara asked Lena about their date. She wondered what Lena could have possibly said that elicited such a response. She thought the date had gone well, and Lena's kiss told her that the brunette agreed with her. What had she told Kara that made her scream?

"'Night!" Kara called as she stepped out the door, Alex hot on her heels.

The older sister closed the door partially behind her and grabbed Kara by the shoulder before the superhero could take off.

"Kara," she said quietly.

"YOU KISSED!" Kara scream-whispered, whirling around to face her. She nearly squealed. "TWICE!"

Alex shook her head and tried again.

"Kara —"

"Was it good? Is Lena a good kisser? Alex, tell me everything!" she said. "The date was good?"

Alex let out a defeated sigh.

"Yes, the date was perfect," she replied, a smile creeping onto her face. "I owe you big. A million and one potstickers —"

"I'll hold you to that," Kara interrupted.

"And yes, it was a good kiss," she admitted. "I'll tell you all about it later when it’s not 2 a.m. and there are no alien assassins trying to kill my gir- Lena. But right now I need you to do me a favor."

Kara furrowed her brow, her crinkle on full display. She heard Alex’s slip. She’d almost said girlfriend. Kara pretended she hadn’t noticed but her eyes danced excitedly.

"What's wrong?"

"Did Brainy seem _off_ to you?" Alex asked. "I mean, the thing with the centrifuge and I don't know, Kar. He seemed _weird_."

Kara chuckled.

"He's Brainy. He's always a little weird."

"No, I mean, weirder."

Kara considered this for a minute. He had seemed a little odd, and the mistake with the centrifuge was pretty big.

"What are you thinking, Alex?" she asked, crossing her arms and leveling a serious gaze at her sister.

Alex put her hands in the pockets of her jeans and shrugged.

"I dunno," she said. "Can you just keep an eye on him? Something just doesn't seem right."

***

Lena had already retreated to the master bedroom by the time Alex came back inside from her conversation with Kara. She opened up one of the suitcases from her penthouse and pulled out a comfy pair of sleep pants and a tank top that she would have never packed for herself. It was one of the few remaining reminders from the last time she'd attempted to do her own laundry. Half of her clothing had shrunk while the rest turned a shade of pale pink. This top was one of the shrunken. It was good enough for lounging around her house _alone_ but she'd never consider wearing it where anyone might see her. Now she was pulling it over her head and frowning at it. She had a sneaking suspicion that Kara knew it was too short and would bare her midriff.

She was digging through her suitcase for a sweatshirt or a sweater or anything at all that she could put on over the barely-there tank when there was a soft knock on her door and Alex was calling her name.

"It's open," Lena replied, not quite abandoning her search but knowing that if she didn't let the director in, Alex would worry. They were in a safehouse hiding from an alien assassin, after all.

Alex pushed the door open and leaned against the doorframe, not daring to venture too far into the room. Her eyes lingered on the expanse of soft skin exposed by Lena's pajamas and she tore them away, forcing them back to the other woman's face.

"Kara's gone back home," Alex said. "She said she'll come back in the morning to check on us, and if we need anything to let her know."

Lena crossed her arms low over her middle in an effort to cover the skin that her shirt refused to cover.

"That's great," she said. "I really appreciate that she brought clothes. I wasn't looking forward to sleeping jeans. I would have picked a different sleep shirt, but I appreciate it."

Alex grinned.

“I haven't even gone through my bag yet. I'm almost afraid to see what she packed for me." Alex shifted a few times on her feet, glancing over her shoulder for a minute as if looking for something, and then turned her attention back to Lena. "This night didn't turn out the way I thought it would. We never really finished our date. We were...well, you know, and then the phone rang, and now we're here."

Lena smiled and looked down at her crossed arms. She let them fall to her sides, baring her stomach, and walked slowly across the room to where Alex leaned against the open door.

"I do know," she said and put a hand beside Alex's own on the doorframe. "If I remember correctly, there was a very nice bottle of Macallan and you were kissing me."

Alex playfully raised an eyebrow and moved her hand on top of Lena's. She ran her index finger over her knuckles distractedly.

"Oh? I was kissing you? I could have sworn you kissed me."

"Hmm," Lena replied. "Maybe there was an exchange of kisses."

Alex nodded, her eyes not leaving Lena's.

"Maybe."

"I had a lovely time tonight, Alex," Lena said after a moment. "Threat of assassination aside."

"I did, too," Alex agreed. She let the silence spin out for a minute, not quite knowing what to say and afraid of pushing things too far too fast. "I should probably let you get some sleep. It's late and you're all dressed for it. And I should do another sweep before I turn in."

"Right. Well, I'll let you get to it then," Lena said, reluctantly drawing her hand away from where Alex continued to idly stroke her knuckles. She impulsively leaned forward, kissing Alex lightly on the lips. "Goodnight, Director Danvers."

***

Alex walked the perimeter of the safehouse three times before finally going outside and walking a slow circuit. She knew they were safe and, for now, the threat had passed, but she had tried sitting still and couldn't. The memory of Lena's lips ghosting over her own for a third time refused to fade and she shook her head as she returned to the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator, and swallowed half the bottle in a single gulp.

Their date had gone so well. The flowers and the picnic on the beach and Lena holding her hands and kissing her, and then the ride back to the penthouse with Lena's arms wrapped so tightly around her waist and kissing again. It had been perfect. The best first date she'd had in so long. After Maggie, she'd gone a series of dates, so many dates that at one point, Kara had joked that her sister had gone out with every lesbian in National City. None of those dates had felt more like a single night of drinks and conversation. This date with a Lena Luthor, however, was different. Maybe it was because she knew Lena and there had been no awkward small talk or getting-to-know-you questions, but Alex wasn't sure that was the reason. Even with Brainy's phone call interrupting the second half of their date, she had a hard time imagining a more perfect evening. Alex was looking forward to a second, third, even fourth date once this had blown over.

Whenever that might happen. She hated the idea of waiting. If they were back in their normal lives, she might have suggested a date for that evening or the weekend if Lena's schedule was too full. There were so many things she wanted to do with her. She was eager to go to the places Lena liked and even more so to share some of her own favorite things with the woman she was finding it hard to stop thinking about.

She chugged down the rest of her water and retreated to the bedroom, hauling her duffel bag up onto the bed and digging through it. Kara had packed her favorite sleep pants and the well-worn long-sleeved Henley she liked to wear to bed. She changed into them quickly and then dug through a side pocket, her hands coming to land on her contact lens case and solution. She popped her lenses out and swapped them for the glasses Kara had not-so-stealthily given her earlier.

The glasses were an annoyance. Her vision wasn't bad, but it wasn't perfect either. She'd done a lot of squinting during the final few years at National City University and had initially chalked it up to too many late nights with a shot glass in hand. But when J'onn recruited her for the DEO, he'd immediately recognized that his newest agent might have a vision issue and insisted she visit an optometrist before he'd even give her a gun. She'd left there with glasses and a prescription for contacts. For years, now, Alex had talked about laser surgery but who had the time? Aside from J'onn, only Kara, her mother, and Maggie had seen her wear the glasses and she liked it that way. It wasn't vanity except that it was.

She took her toothbrush into the bathroom and began cleaning up for bed. Alex had been near exhaustion not long ago, but then Lena kissed her. She was wide awake now. Her mind raced and her body was humming. There was always that residual energy that surged through her whenever she was on assignment or back from a case, but tonight it was combined with the energy from her date. It was going to be impossible to sleep. It absolutely didn't help that the object of her restless mind was sleeping in a very skimpy top just a few yards away. Alex bet she looked cute when she slept and fleetingly thought about poking her head into the other room. Just to check on her. For safety.

"Ugh, Danvers." She mumbled, flipping the bathroom light off and heading back to her own bedroom. "You need a cold shower."

A cold shower was out of the question; she was comfortable in her pajamas, but she could distract herself from thoughts of Lena. She grabbed the latest copy of _Nature _from her duffel and then dropped the bag on the floor. She pulled back the blankets and climbed under the covers, stretching out along the length of the bed and beginning to flip through the science journal.

She was in the middle of an article about the RoboBee X-Wing, an aerial vehicle weighing just 90 milligrams, when Lena appeared in her doorway. Alex didn't notice her arrival and the CEO stood silently just watching her read. Lena was utterly transfixed by the black frame glasses perched on the director's nose. As she stared, a small smile began to spread on her face. Alex looked so relaxed and peaceful even while reading a scientific journal. The day had dissolved into so much chaos and stress, but Alex Danvers was lying in bed and looked even more beautiful than she had when she'd appeared at Lena's front door to pick her up for their date.

"I didn't know you wore glasses," Lena said softly, breaking the silence.

Alex nearly dropped the magazine. It'd been nearly 45 minutes since she'd left the other woman's room and she hadn't heard Lena approach. Now that it was closing in on 3 a.m., Alex had assumed that Lena was asleep. She recovered quickly and closed the journal, setting it beside her on the bed.

"Is everything okay?" she asked.

Lena shook her head and frowned.

"I just can't sleep."

Alex frowned and pushed her glasses back up her nose self-consciously. They'd slipped slightly while she read.

"I know, it's not a familiar place and everything that happened —"

Lena was shaking her head.

"No, it's not that," she interrupted, finally pushing herself away from the doorframe and taking a few tentative steps into the room. She let out a deep sigh. "It's normal. I don't usually sleep a lot. Hazards of the job I guess."

Alex patted the bed next to her, inviting the other woman to sit. She picked her magazine up and set it on a small wooden table, shifting over to make space for Lena on the small twin-size bed.

"Is it just the job or does Supergirl have something to do with it?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

Lena hesitated before sitting down next to Alex. She left as much space between them as possible. It felt like she'd intruded on the director's personal time and while she very much wanted to spend more time with this woman, she didn't want to bother her with her own baggage. Alex noticed her reluctance and put a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, you don't have to talk if you don't want to," she said. "I'm here if you want to, though."

They sat in silence together for a minute, Lena staring ahead at the wall and Alex sneaking occasional glances at the woman sitting just inches away from her. When she finally realized Lena wasn’t going to say anything, she reached for her journal and continued reading her article. If Lena didn’t want to talk, that was fine with her. If she just needed to be near someone, she was happy to be that someone, even if her closeness was making her crazy. She'd never pressure Lena into anything, not that she thought Lena could be pressured or intimidated by anyone.

No one had ever let Lena simply sit without pressing her to talk about her feelings or emotions. Even James, though he knew she'd built up a complex series of walls within herself, constantly tried to get her to talk things out. That wasn't Lena's style. She couldn't be forced into it. Eventually, when she needed to she would talk, but it would be on her own terms. She was shocked when Alex reached for her magazine and started reading. Her heart gave a slight flutter. Alex Danvers understood her. It wasn't a sign of indifference; Lena was certain of that. Alex's move to start reading again was welcoming. Alex was simply sharing her space with her and giving her all the time and space and silence she needed. She'd said that she was here for her, and that's exactly what Alex was doing. She was simply being there. Alex Danvers was —

"You're amazing, you know that?" Lena said, the unspoken thought finding its way to her lips.

Alex looked up from over top of her magazine and raised a curious eyebrow.

"What?"

Lena blushed. She hadn't intended to say that out loud.

"I said you're amazing," Lena repeated. "You're just going to sit there and read."

Alex set the magazine into her lap and bit her lip. She thought she was doing the right thing by letting Lena sit silently with her thoughts. Lena would come to her when and if she was ready to do so. Her words, however, made her doubt herself.

"I'm sorry," Alex said. "I thought... I didn't want to pressure you into talking if you didn't want to."

"No!" Lena said sharply. "I don't mean it in a bad way. I mean, no one's ever done that before."

"What?" Alex didn't understand.

"I mean, you get it," she said, after searching her mind for the right words. "You're not forcing me to talk about anything. Most people, they want me to talk and I don't always know how or what I should say. But you're just sitting there, reading your journal – which I'd like to borrow later, by the way – and you're just letting me sit here in silence. You're amazing."

A slight smile played at the corners of Alex's mouth and she gave a small shrug.

"Sometimes I like to talk," she said. "And sometimes I need to process things in my head. I'd hate for someone to make me talk if I wasn't ready to. If you just want to sit here, you're welcome to stay as long as you want."

Lena shifted on the bed, closing the distance between them. She studied the director's face for a minute and realized that Alex was telling her the truth. She could stay there as long as she wanted to. She leaned over and placed a kiss on Alex's cheek.

"You're sure?"

Alex nodded.

"Whatever you need, Lee."

She pulled the covers back slightly on the bed and shifted over a bit more, inviting Lena to make herself more comfortable. The younger woman hesitated for just a brief moment before climbing into bed alongside her date and pulling the blankets back up over herself. Alex shifted again, letting Lena get more comfortable in the small space, and then returned to reading her journal.

Lena curled herself up next to Alex and felt the overwhelming desire to rest her head on her shoulder. With anyone else, she might have fought that urge. Instead she pressed herself up against Alex's side and let her head fall against the strong shoulder and arm.

"Is this okay?" she asked when Alex didn't react.

Alex looked away from the page she was reading and saw Lena's face looking up at her with concern. She smiled and kissed the top of Lena's head.

"It's more than okay," she assured her. "I'm going to finish this article, but let me know if you want me to turn out the light."

Lena felt like she was positively glowing. They'd barely had a first date, but here they were, cuddled together in a small single bed, and she hadn't noticed the casual way Alex had shortened her name. It didn't feel weird or awkward or as if things had moved too quickly. It just felt familiar and comfortable. The idea that she could spend every night for the rest of her life like this with Alex Danvers crossed her mind and she shoved it aside, locking into a small, compartmentalized box. It was much too soon to even be thinking like that. She placed a soft kiss on the tiny bit of skin peeking out from the collar of Alex's shirt and snuggled against her, closing her eyes.

For the first time in a long time, Lena Luthor fell asleep without the help of alcohol or collapsing from sheer exhaustion. Her body was relaxed and her mind stopped whirring at superspeed. She felt safe and secure, and for the time being, like everything was alright with the world.


	12. Something About Doors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate cliffhangers, but here's another one. I keep doing it, and I'm so sorry! Also, we're about two chapters from my promised smut. It's coming soon. No pun intended.

Warmth. Comfortable warmth. That was the first thing Alex registered as she slowly opened her eyes and yawned. Sunlight filtered in through the room's single window, and she glanced to her right. Lena Luthor had spent the night snuggled into her side with one hand resting lightly on her chest. Alex couldn't be sure, but she thought this might be what heaven was like. A literal goddess was sleeping tucked up tight against her, her dark hair fanned on the pillow they shared in the tiny bed. Her face was slack and peaceful, a slight smile playing on her lips. Alex settled into the bed more fully, careful not to wake the woman beside her and sighed as Lena's fingers flexed slightly on her chest, grabbing onto the director's Henley. She thought she could stay like that all day.

If she didn't need to pee.

Of course, she needed to use the bathroom. An incredibly beautiful woman was sleeping next to her in the tiniest bed ever with her legs entwined with her own and her hand inches away from her breasts and Alex Danvers was being betrayed by her own body. Naturally.

She tried to push it out of her mind and convince herself that she didn't need to get up, that she didn't need to extract herself from this wonderfully warm and blissful cocoon that was Lena Luthor's body, but her body wasn't listening. It needed to get up. Now.

Alex carefully pulled her legs out from between Lena's and then gently lifted the hand that rested on her chest and slipped out from underneath it. She kissed it lightly before letting it rest back down in the space she'd just occupied before pulling the disturbed blankets back up and around the other woman. She looked longingly at the bed and the woman she was leaving behind but her bladder protested again, reminding her why she'd gotten up in the first place.

Shutting the door to the bedroom quietly behind her, Alex made her way through the house towards the bathroom. Just because she was awake didn't mean Lena needed to wake up. Kara had told her once about the CEO's terrible sleeping habits, but she hadn't exactly believed her. No one sleeps as little as Kara claimed Lena did and still managed to be that brilliant. But Alex had seen Lena last night. She looked exhausted and had freely admitted that she didn't sleep much. Alex knew most of it was because she was carrying nearly the entire weight of L-Corp on her own shoulders, but the business with Kara being Supergirl probably hadn't helped the situation any. As she washed her hands and shouldered through the bathroom door en route to the kitchen for coffee, Alex thought that maybe a few days in the safehouse away from work was exactly what Lena needed.

Alex's plan was to make coffee and then walk another circuit of the property. It was probably just paranoia, but part of being Lena's bodyguard in the safehouse meant she actually needed to be a guard. While the impromptu getaway could act as a mini-vacation for the Luthor, Alex was still working, no matter how pleasant it was waking up next to Lena. It couldn't just be one long extended date.

She shuffled into the kitchen and began opening and closing cabinets but stopped in mid-open. The distinct aroma of coffee filled the air, and she spun around quickly, looking for the source. Two large paper cups from Noonan's sat on the counter alongside a large paper bag. Alex picked up the bag and read the note scrawled on it.

_Alex – I dropped by with breakfast for you. I would have woken you up but you guys looked _ **_SO CUTE_** _. I'll do a few flyovers. Brainy gave me a key. Call later please! Love you! Kara_

Of course, her sister had been there. Alex peaked inside the bag and saw a pile of various pastries – at least one of everything Noonan's sold – and she shook her head and chuckled. Only Kara would have bought one of everything for just two people. She grabbed one of the cups and pulled the lid back. Steam rose from it and she wondered how long ago Kara had been there.

She took a long life-giving swallow before padding to the backdoor and checking the lock. While she sipped at the coffee and thought about Kara's note, she felt her irritation rising. Why had Brainy given Kara a key? If her sister had asked, Alex would have agreed to it immediately. She trusted her sister more than anyone, but instead Agent Dox made the decision on his own. He was out of order and it reminded her of his odd behavior at the DEO the previous day and how he'd nearly destroyed the sample of the alien element. She wanted to talk to J'onn and pick his brain about it. But at least Kara had remembered to lock the door when she left, and the coffee was much appreciated.

She went to the bedroom and softly pushed the door open, careful not to wake Lena. Her phone was charging on a nearby table with her gun and keys beside it. She snatched all three up, stepped into the shoes she'd left next to the bed in case of an emergency, and silently left the room.

There were no text messages from Brainy and no missed calls. He'd acted on his own accord. He hadn't even tried to reach her. She quickly tapped out a message of thanks to Kara and headed for the front door. Time for another perimeter sweep.

***

It took Lena a few moments to remember she was in a safehouse, but one glance at the awful faded wallpaper was enough to tell her that she hadn't fallen asleep on her office couch and it definitely wasn't her penthouse. She remembered coming into Alex's room sometime in the early hours and falling asleep on her shoulder, but she was alone now. Lena pushed the covers back and went to the door.

The house was dark and she was struck by the quiet stillness that enveloped it.

"Alex?" Lena called as she turned towards the living room. When she found the room empty, she reversed course and headed towards the bathroom and other two bedrooms. "Alex?"

The realization that she was alone in the house hit her and normally calm and composed Lena took several large, hurried steps into the kitchen, the only place she hadn't looked.

"Alex?"

She spotted the Noonan's delivery on the table and read the note from Kara. Despite the coffee and pastries, there was no other sign of either Danvers sister. She swallowed hard and rushed to the master bedroom where she'd left her phone. Something had happened. There was no way Alex would have left her in the safehouse after she'd been so thorough in her earlier protection efforts. Something must have happened. Lena felt her panic rising and she took a couple of deep breaths, her mother's voice echoing in her head: _Luthors don't panic_.

There was no need to panic. Alex would not have left her, and it wasn't like she was in immediate danger. The DEO had put her up in the safehouse, far away from whatever it was that was trying to kill her. She sat on the edge of the bed and took another breath. Wherever Alex was, she'd be back soon. If she had planned to leave for any period of time, Lena was confident Alex would have at least left a note.

Alex wasn't like the others who'd come in and out of her life. Alex was stable and honest and trustworthy. She wouldn't have just vanished, leaving her behind with no word. The director had promised to protect her, and Lena had no reason to doubt her.

She took her phone into the kitchen and surveyed the offerings Kara left behind. There must have been two cups. Kara would have brought coffee for both of them, and one cup was missing. Alex must have it with her wherever she was. Lena peeked out the back door and checked the small deck, wondering if maybe the director had decided to enjoy her coffee outside but the small outdoor space was empty. She turned away and started back towards the front of the house. Maybe Alex was doing another of her perimeter sweeps.

The front door rattled in the jamb, and Lena turned her attention towards it. She heard it bang back and forth and took a tentative step towards the living room. The door moved in and out in the casing as if someone was trying to get in, and Lena turned her phone screen on. She prepared to call Alex or Kara or, well, anyone. Maybe Kara was her best choice. Supergirl would be able to get there quickly, right? She could fly.

Whoever or whatever was on the other side of the door let out a loud groan followed by a series of loud bangs on the door as if it was being hit by a fist.

"Who’s there?" Lena called, stepping backwards, her finger hovering over Kara's contact. "You should know I've already called the police. They’re on the way."

"Lena!" the visitor yelled. "It's Alex. My damn key is stuck in the damn lock and I can't get in!"

Lena took a few steps forward and put her hand on the door. She wished there was a window near it so she could get a look at her visitor.

"Alex?" she asked hesitantly. "It's you?"

"Yeah, let me in," Alex called.

Lena put her hand on the knob and started to open it but stopped, a wicked smile spreading across her face.

"Lena?" Alex called again.

"How do I know it's you?" She was only teasing. Any concerns she’d had when waking up to an empty house had evaporated, and she was enjoying toying with the director.

Alex sighed and hit her forehead against the door in exasperation.

"Lena," she groaned. "It's me! Let me back in."

The CEO shook her head.

"I don't know," she said. "You could be an alien assassin. Maybe a shapeshifter or a mimic. Prove it."

Alex groaned and hit the door again.

"Lena!" She paused. "Fine! We went out last night. I brought you Big Belly Burger and you rode on my motorcycle. We went back to your place for Macallan."

"And?"

"And what?" Alex asked exasperated. "Lena, come on. I'm still in my pajamas! Just let me in!"

Lena chuckled as she opened the door. Alex crossed her arms and frowned at her as she realized the younger woman had been messing with her.

"Did you have your fun?" she asked.

"Not quite yet," Lena said and stepped into Alex's personal space. She kissed her hard on the lips. When she felt Alex's hand creep around her waist and start to pull her closer, she took a step back, nipping her bottom lip and ending the kiss. She retreated back towards the kitchen, smirking over her shoulder. "_Now_ I've had my fun."

Alex followed the CEO into the kitchen, continuing to sip at her coffee. Her eyes lingered on Lena's ass and she forced herself to look away but they kept drifting south again. She didn't know what it was about Lena, but she drove her crazy in every possible way.

"Kara came by while we were sleeping," she said casually, entering the kitchen and dropping into a wooden chair. Alex passed the second coffee to Lena.

Lena took the coffee and sat down across from Alex. She sipped it.

"I saw Kara's note," she said, pointing at the bag. "I wondered where you'd gone. I woke up and no one was here."

Alex flushed.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I wanted to do another perimeter sweep while you were asleep. I hope I didn't wake you. You looked... peaceful."

Lena raised an eyebrow and studied the director over the rim of her paper cup.

"Were you watching me sleep, Director Danvers?"

Alex almost denied it but if she wasn't mistaken, Lena was flirting with her.

"Maybe."

Lena smiled.

"Is that part of your duties as a bodyguard?"

Alex shrugged casually and turned her attention back to her cup.

"I wouldn't want to be accused of shoddy work," she replied. She reached for the paper bag and opened it. "Hungry? Kara pretty much bought out Noonan's for us."

Lena looked into the bag, her hand hovering nearby. Finally, she shook her head and got up and began opening kitchen cabinets. She found what she was looking for on the fourth try and carried a large plate back to the table and began emptying the contents of the bag onto the plate. Alex gave her a curious look.

"What?" Lena asked, noticing Alex's look. "Now you can see your options."

Alex couldn't help but smile. It was such a Lena thing to do. If she'd been with Kara, they'd have just dug into the bag, leaving crumbs in their wake. Only Lena would have taken the time to arrange the breakfast treats. She was about to reply when her phone vibrated from its place on the table. Kara. She was tempted to just put it on speaker but thought better of it, scooping the phone up and giving Lena an apologetic smile.

"It's Kara. I should take this."

She got up from the table, taking her coffee with her, and made the short trip to the living room. Alex dropped onto the couch as she answered.

"Hey Kara," she said. "Thanks for breakfast."

Kara almost squealed on the other end of the call and Alex had to hold the phone away from her ear until her sister calmed down.

"You guys were so cute!" Kara cried. "Oh my god, Alex. Did you guys...?"

"No! Jesus, Kara," Alex replied sharply.

"Good," came the reply accompanied by a very audible sigh of relief. "I didn't really wanna know about it anyway. But I dropped off breakfast and was going to stay but you weren't up yet, and you and Lena and... oh my god, adorable, Alex!"

Alex rolled her eyes.

"Glad you approve," she said. "What's up?"

Kara hesitated as she tried to remember why she'd called in the first place. She'd only gone to the safehouse after stopping by the DEO, but when she arrived with coffee and pastries in hand, she'd completely forgotten the real reason she'd come by. Her best friend and sister were curled up in bed together and Kara had seen stars. Alex had left Lena's suitcases in the master bedroom but instead, the two women were in one of the smaller secondary rooms. The bed was so small they were nearly on top of one another and it was cuteness overload. She had mixed feelings about the pair dating, Alex was her sister and Lena her best friend, but she had been completely unprepared by how good they looked together.

"Oh, right. Sorry," Kara said. "I stopped at the DEO this morning before coming by the safehouse. I think you're right. Something's up with Brainy. It's almost like, and I know how weird this sounds, but when you talk to him, it's like... Can Brainy get a computer virus?"

***

Lena finished the last few bites of her breakfast and drained her coffee. Between the surprise Big Belly Burger dinner the previous evening and the flown-in breakfast from Noonan's, she was seeing a great culinary advantage to having Supergirl as a friend. She wondered if she'd be able to convince Kara to take a quick trip to Ireland for the scones she loved.

Alex's voice carried from the living room, and Lena stretched in her chair as she tried to shake the remains of sleep off. She'd slept surprisingly well and any embarrassment she might have had about once again cuddling the elder Danvers sister was gone. She made her way to the master bedroom and began searching through her suitcases. While the director was on the phone, Lena figured she'd take the opportunity to grab a shower. She didn’t know how she'd fill her day, but showering was a start.

Hot water cascaded over Lena's body as she let her mind drift. So much had happened in just 24 hours. First the package containing the mysterious vial and threatening note arrived in her office and then she'd gone on one of the most perfect first dates with Alex Danvers only to have it interrupted by a phone call from the DEO and then their confinement to a safehouse. That would have been enough in a normal day, but she'd found herself climbing into bed with the woman tasked with protecting her.

She'd gone to Alex's bedroom because the light was still on and, like most nights, Lena couldn't sleep. Her mind refused to shut down as she thought about all the work she wasn't getting done at L-Corp, the board meeting she'd probably need to cancel next week, the budget reports she needed to look over as soon as she returned, Kara's deception which she was certain would forever weigh on her mind, and of, course, her date with Alex. If you'd told Lena just a few days earlier that not only would she have accepted a date with the director of the DEO but she'd have a wonderful time with her, she wouldn't have believed it. But she had and she did, and it was hard to stop thinking about her. When she'd gotten into bed and turned off the lights, her brain had thought about all those important work-related things but it had fixated on the effect Alex was having on her.

When she'd noticed her light was still on, Lena had been drawn down the short hallway to the director's doorway. She had no intentions of climbing into bed with her, but to be quite honest, she didn't really know what her intentions were. She'd simply been pulled there. Something about seeing Alex and being around her made her feel so comfortable. And that was really the crux of it. She was incredibly comfortable around Alex Danvers.

It was odd, really. Yes, she'd had her normal first date nerves, but those had disappeared almost immediately when Alex arrived at her doorstep. She didn't feel giddy or flustered or any of those anxious, out-of-control emotions that usually hit her when first dating someone new. It was all so warm and familiar and wonderfully comfortable. Lena felt perfectly at home with Alex as if they'd been together for decades. Maybe that was the most terrifying part of it all. Her walls were up, but it felt like the smallest breeze could knock them down. Being with Alex Danvers was like being home.

Lena turned off the water and grabbed for a towel. She wrapped it carefully around her head and stepped out of the shower into the small, steamy bathroom.

***

Alex knocked. She truly did, but she hadn't waited for a response. The door to the bathroom wasn't completely closed and if her brain had even tried to function at all, it just assumed the CEO was brushing her teeth. But she did knock before she pushed her way into the room.

"Hey Le..."

She froze. All concept of words and how to form them fell completely out of her head. Lena Luthor stood before her with a towel wrapped around her head and nothing else. Droplets of water clung to her chest and Alex positively was not staring as a single drop of water dripped from her left nipple. And then she realized what was happening and freaked out completely.

"Oh my god, Lena!" she cried, pulling the door towards her and letting it slam closed. "I am so sorry! Sorry, sorry, sorry!"

Alex stood in the hallway outside of the bathroom door for a beat and tried to decide what to do as she clenched and unclenched her fists. What had she been thinking? The bathroom door was closed and she'd just burst in like nothing. Her face burned. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been this embarrassed. Yes, she was trying to date Lena but she hadn't even seen her naked with permission yet and she'd just busted in on her shower. She shook with embarrassment and moved quickly through the house. She needed to get as far away from Lena as possible.

***

Lena found the director sitting on the back deck, face buried in her hands and a bottle of water tucked between her feet. As far as she could tell, Alex hadn't opened the water and was fully oblivious to the world around her. She didn't react as Lena opened the back door and walked outside.

There were a million things Lena thought of that she could say. They ranged from exceptionally flirty to dirty, but she wasn't mad at her. If anyone else had burst in on her, Lena would have had a few cutting things to say but for some reason she was amused. She stood on the deck for a few minutes to see if Alex would say anything or even look her way, but she didn't. Lena cleared her throat and walked around to a second plastic Adirondack chair. She sat and studied Alex's face trying to decide what her best approach would be.

"So, Director Danvers, did you see something you liked?" she asked finally in an unreadable tone.

Alex looked up slowly. If her face hadn't been so red, it would have been completely pale. She'd been fighting the competing urges to both fling herself off a bridge and to throw up since coming outside. The humiliation was real, and she couldn't forgive herself for just barging in on Lena. She shook her head.

"Lena, I am so, so incredibly sorry. I wasn't thinking and I —"

"You didn't answer my question," Lena pressed in her boardroom voice, resting an elbow on the arm of the chair and cupping her chin as she levelled a serious gaze at the other woman.

"This feels like a trap," Alex said. "I really didn't mean to barge in on you. I don't know what I was thinking, and I'm so sorry. If you want, I can get someone else to do security here. I could call Kara or Vasquez or anyone you want. I am so, so, _so_ sorry."

Lena smirked slightly and leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs. She waved a disinterested hand.

"Alex, relax," she said. "You wanted to go out with me, right?"

Alex gave a small nod as she stared at the deck. She was having a hard time meeting Lena's eyes. The deck was the safest place to look. Whenever she looked up at Lena she saw her naked and dripping from her shower even though the CEO had since put on a pair of jeans and light gray blouse.

“And you find me attractive?”

Another small nod.

“I swear, Lena, it was an accident.”

“Hmm,” Lena mused, ignoring the other woman’s apologies. She settled into her chair and steepled her fingers, looking at Alex straight on. “You know, in business, you like to be on a level playing field. If you're meeting with someone with more assets or holdings, you try to press your own worth upon them so you can be seen as equals. If you’re in negotiations, you never show your full hand. As far as the other party is concerned, you’re disinterested. Equal footing, equally invested.”

Alex was shaking her head. She looked up at Lena for the first time and frowned.

"What are you talking about?"

"We're no longer on equal footing," she said and gave Alex a sly smile.

The color drained out of Alex's face as she caught onto Lena's meaning.

"What?"

Lena tried to keep herself from laughing. Alex and Kara had the same deer-in-the-headlights look, and it was adorable. She shook her head and put on her most innocent look.

"I'm just saying, you've seen me yet I've yet to see you," she said. "Even footing and all."

"Even footing," Alex repeated slowly. "So, you want me to —"

"Strip, Director Danvers," Lena said, gesturing with a single finger for Alex to start.

Alex nearly choked. She crossed her arms protectively in front of herself and got out of the chair, turning away to face the door leading back into the house.

"Wh-what?" she stuttered, glancing back over her shoulder. "You want me to what? Strip?"

Lena was up in a flash. She had hoped to elicit a smile from the director. It had been a joke. Yes, initially, she'd been embarrassed with the way that Alex had burst through the bathroom door, but that quickly became arousal when she saw the way the woman's eyes had lingered on her naked body. Had it been anyone else, she would have yelled and immediately thrown them out before demanding a new detail. But she wasn't upset. She wrapped her arms around Alex's body, putting her hands on her tensed biceps and rubbed up and down lightly.

"Alex, babe, I was only teasing you," she said quietly, the term of affection slipping through her lips without a thought. "It was a joke."

She felt the tension in Alex's body relax slightly and the director turned around to face her, slipping out of her grasp. Worry creased her brow.

"You're not mad?" Alex asked. "I totally busted in on you."

Lena shook her head.

"Not mad," she assured her. "I was just giving you some grief."

"I'm really, really sorry," Alex said. "It was a complete accident."

"Alex," Lena said quietly. "Stop. You don't need to keep apologizing. I'm not mad. It's not how I thought you'd see me naked for the first time, but I'm not mad at you."

Alex's mouth fell open slightly but she closed it immediately. Lena laughed.

"Don't look so surprised, Dr. Danvers," she said teasingly, noticing the way Alex reacted to the use of her honorific and made a mental note to use it again. "We had a really good date. We're already sleeping together, in a manner of speaking. Of course, I've thought about you like that."

Alex's mouth was suddenly very dry. She licked her lips and fumbled for the doorknob to let herself back into the house. It felt like she needed to move. Sitting on the back deck with Lena made her feel slightly claustrophobic and like she needed to find something to do. There was no mistaking that she wanted to date Lena and, god yes, she wanted her in every sense of the word – pressed up against a wall, tied to the headboard, in the shower. She wasn't ready to go there, yet. You don't just jump into bed with a woman like Lena Luthor. There's a certain degree of dating and _romancing_ that has to go into it first.

She turned around inside the kitchen and saw Lena watching her through the open door.

"You've thought about me? Like that?"

It was Lena's turn to lick her lips. On her, however, the move was almost predatory and it sent a chill down the director's spine. She nodded and was about to speak but her phone gave a single chime. There was only one contact in her phone with that particular tone assigned to it: Kara Danvers. She pulled her phone from her pocket and held it so Alex could see the screen.

"Your sister," she said and tapped on the new text message. After a minute she shoved her phone back in her pocket with a frown. "Check your phone. She says the DEO is trying to reach you."

Alex reached for the phone in her back pocket and realized it wasn't there. She scanned the room but the device wasn't there either. Lena popped her head back outside and spotted it on the deck next to the untouched bottle of water. She grabbed it and handed it over, noticing the missed calls and text notifications that filled the lock screen.

"Shit," Alex cursed, taking the phone and unlocking it to see a series of missed calls and no fewer than a dozen texts from her sister, Vasquez, and J'onn. She stepped away towards her bedroom as she listened to the phone ring in her ear before Vasquez answered and started in rapid fire. "Woah, slow down, Vasquez. Brainy did what?" Alex paused for a very long minute and then stepped out of the bedroom. She grabbed Lena roughly by the arm and pulled her towards the front door. "Okay."

She disconnected the call and jammed her phone back in her pocket, continuing to walk Lena to the front door.

"What's going on?" Lena asked.

Alex opened the front door just as Supergirl landed in the middle of the lawn in full costume holding onto a very uncertain looking Vasquez. A second later, J'onn was landing beside them. 

"Danvers, you're still in your pajamas," he observed, following the group inside. "Maybe change first."


	13. Going Viral

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I'm so so so so sorry. It has been forever since my last chapter. I've been crazy busy and, honestly, my personal life sorta fell apart and I hadn't really felt up to writing. I'm back though, and I'll do my best to serve up these chapters in a much timelier fashion. This chapter isn't very long. It's short. Just one scene, but I needed to move the plot along so we can get to the good stuff. I'm handling some of this a little clumsier than I'd like but I feel like I need to pick up the pace. Thanks for bearing with me.

Lena was searching the cabinets for coffee in the kitchen while J'onn and Vasquez took up seats at the small table and waited for the director of the DEO to change out of her pajamas. She hadn't missed Alex's slightly embarrassed look when her former boss pointed out her attire and was once again struck by how cute Alex could be. Alex Danvers, Director of the Department of Extranormal Operations, was a force to be reckoned with. She was in control, decisive and precise, and a natural leader. Alex Danvers, sister of Kara and possible girlfriend of Lena Luthor, however, was just an adorable, sometimes shy and uncertain dork. Lena wasn't sure which side was the bigger turn on. Either way, Lena was smitten.

She pulled a large canister from a cabinet and turned to head towards the nearby coffeemaker and nearly banged into Supergirl. Kara smirked slightly at Lena and followed as the brunette began making coffee.

"Did you need something, Kara?" Lena asked when she could no longer pretend to ignore her friend's goofy expression.

The blonde shook her head but her smile broadened. Finally, she threw her arms around Lena and caught her in a crushing hug.

"I'm so excited for you guys!" she squealed into her friend's ear.

"For what?" Lena asked, genuinely confused as she pulled out of Kara's grip and turned her attention to finding coffee mugs and spoons in the unfamiliar kitchen.

"You and Alex!"

"Oh. Well, you knew we went out. Nothing's changed."

"Nothing's changed?" Kara replied, and then lowered her voice to a whisper so as not to be overheard. "You guys slept together!"

Lena almost dropped the mugs she was carrying and set them on the counter in a clatter of ceramic on laminate.

“Jesus, Kara. Not like that!” she said. “We just… cuddled.”

Kara raised a disbelieving eyebrow.

“What? That's it," Lena insisted. "I couldn't sleep and Alex was reading in bed. She let me stay with her. I fell asleep against her. That's it. I swear.”

The hero squealed again and was in mid-reach to pull her friend into another rib-bruising hug when Alex reappeared, dressed in black jeans and denim shirt, sleeves rolled to the elbows.

"Will someone tell me what's going on?" she asked, crossing her arms as she leaned against a counter. "I've got seven missed calls, four panicked voicemails, and 17 texts, so what's happening?"

J'onn and Vasquez both turned in their chairs to look at Supergirl who was shaking her head, her hands up in surrender.

"Only three of the voicemails and six texts were from me," she said defensively and then looked at her sister and shrugged. "You weren't picking up."

Alex pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head slightly. She slid into one of the empty seats around the table and leaned back to stare up at the ceiling.

J'onn accepted a steaming cup of coffee from Lena and set it on the table in front of him. He turned in his seat to face the director and drummed his fingers lightly on the tabletop.

"Supergirl was a little eager," he explained. "The rest of those calls were from myself and Vasquez. We couldn't risk bringing either of you back into the DEO until we could brief you."

Alex met J'onn's eyes and furrowed her brow.

"Why? What's happened?" she pressed again.

Vasquez and J'onn exchanged a look.

"It's about Agent Dox," Vasquez said when she realized the former director wasn't going to take point on this. They'd talked before coming to the safehouse and J'onn had insisted that this was a DEO matter and he was only coming along as a knowledgeable friend. "He's, um, he's... well, I think he's contracted a computer virus."

No one replied to this for a second and Alex let this information sink in. She looked from J'onn to Vasquez back to J'onn before glancing over at Kara as if she was expecting one of them to start laughing from the fun prank.

"A computer virus. Agent Dox has a computer virus." she replied slowly. "Is this some kind of joke?"

J'onn shook his head and levelled a serious look at Alex.

"Not at all," he replied. "Agent Dox, Brainy, is a Coulan cybernetic being. He's just as susceptible to black hat tactics as any computer."

Alex licked her lips and tried to fight the smile that threatened to spread on her face. It was absolutely serious if Brainy had contracted a virus, but the idea of it seemed ridiculous. Brainy was one of them, a member of the DEO and a friend. It was almost easy to forget that he was cybernetic with an artificial intelligence.

"A virus," she said again. "Brainy has a virus? How?"

Vasquez gave her coffee a quick stir and cleared her throat, setting the spoon back on the table beside her mug.

"The vial Ms. Luthor received," she said, bringing the mug to her lips. "Agent Dox was looking into it and he connected to the dark web hoping to track down whoever may have initiated the contract. We – _I _think he tapped into some kind of malware. He's... _glitching_."

"Glitching," Alex repeated. She was well aware that she hadn't done anything but repeat whatever was said to her but this whole development was completely unexpected. It wasn't every day one of her agents contracted a computer virus. "Does he know he's... gone viral? Oh my god, that sounds ridiculous."

J'onn frowned.

"No," he replied. "Right now, Brainy is a security risk. We need to be careful about what information he has access to."

Alex started to wave away the mug Lena offered her but noticed the slight frown on the other woman's face. Instead, she accepted the coffee with a smile, their fingers brushing, and took a long swallow of it.

"He has access to everything," she said after swallowing the hot liquid. "Brainy is tapped into our entire mainframe. He's fully interfaced into the entirety of the DEO's network. It was one of the first things he did."

"Right," Vasquez agreed. "As soon as I realized what was happening, I had Hix and Hartmann start installing firewalls to limit his access."

Alex shook her head and frowned.

"He'd notice."

"He did," Vasquez continued. "Immediately. So Reiff and Wolf sorta redirected him."

The director raised an eyebrow and exchanged a look with Lena who'd stopped looking for things to do and was listening to their conversation with interest. She slid into the chair next to Alex to join the discussion.

"Redirected him how?" she asked, not worrying if she was out of line. Beneath the table, her right hand found its way onto the director's thigh and she squeezed lightly before letting her hand come to rest there.

Vasquez looked to her commanding officer for approval to explain to a non-DEO agent. The director gave her a short nod and she directed her attention back to the Luthor.

"We created a duplicate of the vial you received. It's similar in construct but, since we've been having difficulty pinning down the exact elements, it's not identical," she began and hesitated before offering a somewhat sheepish smile. "Wolf dropped it."

Lena looked surprised for just a moment and then recovered. That wasn't the answer she'd been expecting. Of all the ways to redirect someone, smashing their project was certainly creative.

"Where's the original?" Alex asked.

"The Fortress of Solitude," Kara said, crossing her arms over her chest. "No one can get to it there without me."

Lena cocked an eyebrow and turned her interest to Supergirl.

"That's an awfully extreme measure, don't you think?"

J'onn set his empty coffee mug down on the table.

"Maybe," he admitted. "Maybe not. I wouldn't be surprised, however, if whoever sent the vial is also responsible for the virus Brainy contracted while researching it. It feels too coincidental."

Lena bit her lower lip. She desperately wanted another crack at the contents of the vial, but with it being kept at the Fortress of Solitude she supposed that was the end of the story. There was no way she'd be allowed into the Fortress as long as her last name was Luthor.

_Screw it_, Lena thought, giving Alex's thigh another squeeze.

"I want another crack at it," she said finally and looked at Kara with a serious look on her face. "Can you take me to the Fortress?"

Kara started to stammer a reply about how it wasn't her decision when Alex interrupted her.

"Take us both," she insisted. "We can't rely on Brainy figuring this out and between Lena and I, we might be our best shot at it."

"You want me to take you both to the Fortress of Solitude?" Kara asked, furrowing her brow and looking at her sister.

Alex nodded and started to push away from the table.

"Yes," she said and then turned back to Vasquez. "You two keep an eye on Brainy. Lena and I are going to figure out the vial. "

Vasquez got up and cut Alex off as the director started to hurry back to the bedroom to grab her bag.

"Wait," Vasquez said. "We can't just keep an eye on him."

Alex looked down sheepishly. Of course not. It was more complex than just putting him in a containment cell or making sure he didn't work on any projects.

"I don't know. I'm guessing anti-virus software won't work here," she admitted and paused for a chuckle but none came. Alex sighed and scrubbed a hand over her face. "Okay, get some of the techs to see what they can come up with."

J'onn rose from his seat and crossed his arms as he leaned against the kitchen counter.

"I'll talk to Brainy," he offered. "He'll need to know what's going on. If anyone will understand the risk he now poses, it'll be Agent Dox."

Alex nodded and turned to Lena.

"Grab your stuff," she said. "We're going flying."


	14. The Liquid Element

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There were so many things to be impressed by with Lena Luthor, but Alex thought she might be mostly in love with her mind. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I suck. So bad. I’m so sorry. When I posted the last chapter, I thought I would be able to just pick right up again, but it wasn't so easy. My personal life was in tatters and it was way worse than I was willing to let myself believe. I’m trying to bounce back and maybe writing will help with the rebound. Thanks to those of you who reached out. I'm really okay, I promise. I'm totally on my way back. 
> 
> Now, as for this fic, Lena has never been inside the Fortress of Solitude. I was trying to remember if, prior to this current season, she had ever been there and the answer I came up with was, "I don’t remember." So, we're gonna pretend that the answer was really "no" and go from there. 
> 
> Additionally, I'm not a scientist. At all. Like, I barely know anything outside of whatever I learned in high school and that was a long time ago. Any science mentioned is the result of a lot of Google, quick convos with my sister (who incidentally IS a scientist) and my imagination. If I got something wrong, I'm sorry. I tried. I really, really did. 
> 
> This is just a segue chapter to progress my plot. It gets hot in the next chapter and then I think the whole thing will start to come to a rapid close over the next few chapters. I promise you at least two fairly filthy chapters, though.

Superman's crime lab in the Fortress of Solitude was hidden away through a maze of hallways. They'd taken so many turns en route to the lab that Lena wasn't sure she'd be able to find her way out again without a map. Kara had led them passed what felt like miles worth of Kryptonian artifacts and trophies acquired by Superman over the years, and Lena had started to wonder if the lab even existed. But then they came to a stop in front of a door emblazoned with several signs indicating hazardous chemicals and the presence of flammable materials. 

A row of specialized microscopes filled the counters along the perimeter of the lab while cabinets and shelves were filled with every type of glassware and chemical, both alien and human, that Lena could think of. A pair of centrifuges in a far corner of the room looked as if they'd never been used, and refrigerators and incubators took up floor space in the middle of the room. She briefly wondered how Superman had come by such a top-of-the-line lab space. It rivaled her own lab in L-Corp and even outshone Alex's laboratory at the DEO. 

Now, Lena stood hunched over a polarizing microscope, deftly making minor adjustments as she studied a sample of the unknown contents of the vial. Across the room, Alex was running a series of biochemical panels in an attempt to isolate some of the elements. They'd been working for at least three hours when Alex finally looked up from her workstation to stretch, her back giving out a series of satisfying pops. 

The sound of her back cracking ricocheted through the room and Lena looked up startled. She found Alex twisting back and forth trying to wrench out every last pop and crack while simultaneously rolling her neck to release the kinks. Alex ran her hands through her short hair and sighed before turning her gaze towards where Lena was watching her from over the top of the microscope. 

"Find anything?" Alex asked and made her way over to Lena's lab space. She stifled a yawn as she leaned back against the workbench and turned her head so she could watch the younger woman work. 

"Actually..." Lena began and trailed off. She turned her attention back to the microscope and made another subtle adjustment. 

Alex watched as Lena peered through the eyepiece in concentration. The CEO bit her lower lip and a small crease formed on her forehead as she squinted. She hmmed softly and Alex's heart skipped a beat. It wasn't enough that Lena Luthor was easily the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen up close, but the faces she made while deep in concentration were adorable. Alex could have watched her forever and not grown bored. She was fascinated by everything about Lena, and she made a mental note to ask her out on a second date when this was finally all over and they could go back to their normal lives...not that their lives were ever actually normal. 

"Take a look at this," Lena said abruptly, stepping aside and ripping Alex out of her thoughts before she could go too far into fantasy land. 

Alex blinked and then took Lena's place in front of the microscope. 

"What am I looking at?" she asked as she made a minor adjustment to the focus to compensate for her own vision and the sample came into clearer view. 

Lena stood slightly behind Alex and peered over the taller woman's shoulder as she worked. She breathed in deeply. The director didn't make a habit of perfumes or fancy colognes. The scent that overwhelmed Lena's senses was uniquely Alex, and it was intoxicating. 

"You tell me," Lena said, leaning just slightly passed Alex's left arm so she could get a better look at the other woman's face. 

Alex adjusted the scope one more time and then her fingers stilled on the controls. She stared into the eyepieces for a long moment before flicking her eyes away to look at Lena from the corner of her eye. 

"Is that what I think it is?" she asked finally. 

Lena fought a smile. They'd spent so long trying to figure out what was in the vial that they'd both failed to consider that what looked like liquid might not actually be liquid at all. And if it weren't for the high power of the polarizing microscope, Lena wasn't sure if they would have found it at all. Well, she was sure she would have eventually, but this microscope was certainly a big factor and it certainly sped up the process. 

"That depends on what you think it is, Director Danvers," Lena replied coyly, leaning her hip against the bench as Alex turned fully away from the microscope so they were facing each other. 

Alex licked her lips as her eyes momentarily flicked down the other woman's body. How was it possible that Lena looked so good in a pair of jeans and basic blouse? The woman had barely slept, and they'd been hovering over lab equipment for the better part of the day. Alex was certain she didn't look anywhere near as good as Lena did. After a beat she realized she was staring, and she forced herself to glance back at the microscope. 

"I've never actually seen one before, but I remember reading about this new technology in _ACS Nano_," Alex said, shaking her head, still staring at the microscope. "But it can't possibly be." 

"Can't possibly be what, Director?" 

"A liquid computer chip but it can't be," Alex repeated. She went back to the microscope and stared through the eyepieces again. When researchers unveiled the liquid computer chip early in the spring of 2019, Alex had eagerly read all about it in the journals. Even though the DEO operated with the highest standards of technology, they'd yet to obtain liquid computing power. Now, staring through the eyepieces of a polarizing microscopes in Superman's Fortress of Solitude, that's exactly what Alex was looking at. It couldn't possibly be real. 

"That's what I thought at first," Lena began. "But you see those ions of graphene? They're just floating in a saline solution. It's all surrounded by liquid Kryptonite, but the reason we can't separate it out, is because of the ions of graphene. The graphene, the saline solution, it's all —" 

"Bonded together," Alex finished excitedly. 

She tore her gaze away from the microscope and kissed Lena hard on the lips. That Lena had even thought to consider a liquid computer chip as part of the solution in the vial was genius. Like the agents at the DEO, Alex had been fixated on the idea that liquids were exactly that: liquid. Plus, with J'onn's intel about alien bounties, the idea of an unknown liquid element was all she could think about. Putting it all together, however, it made sense. Brainy had even told her he'd seen something like it before in the future. The liquid computer chip was pretty futuristic. While the concept had been around for decades, in practice, the chip barely existed. Nevertheless, here it was. 

The kiss caught Lena completely off guard, but she found herself kissing Alex back until she wasn't. The DEO's director suddenly and abruptly switched from a kiss to a hug, and Lena swore she'd never been hugged so thoroughly until she'd met the Danvers sisters. Kara's hugs were rib-crushing, but Alex's hugs were something else. They made her feel safe and loved. She hugged Alex tightly before the warmth of the other woman was gone and Alex was turning excitedly back towards the microscope. 

"So how do we find out what's on the chip?" she asked. "I mean, it must contain something. Why else would it have been sent to you?" 

Lena shook her head. 

"Well, I've never actually worked on a liquified data chip before," she admitted. "I've heard about them, but this is the first time I've seen one. If I'm right, though, I'm not certain we're talking about a chip in the same way we understand them. " 

Alex furrowed her brow and crossed her arms over her chest. 

"What do you mean?" 

Lena pursed her lips and considered her words for a minute. Liquid computing technology was still extremely new. Outside of biological uses, she wasn't certain she'd heard of anyone using it for standard computational purposes. It certainly wasn't something that was going to be found inside your standard personal computer anytime soon. 

"It seems that this sort of technology would have its applications in filtration or DNA mapping or energy storage," she said. "I don't know if other uses have been explored yet." 

"DNA mapping?" she asked, although it wasn't an actual question. "DNA mapping. That would make sense, right? The vial isn't just a vial. It's the chip inside of it that's important. Whoever sent it to you would have to have a reason, right?" 

"Right," Lena agreed, nodding. "But I—" 

"What if that reason is to provide you with something?" 

"But the note," Lena reminded her. "The note that came with it sounded like a threat to me. You even said so." 

Alex fell silent. Right. The note. There'd been that note. It hadn't been a veiled threat. It was an out and out, in your face type of threat. Whoever sent the note had made a point to blame Lena for the crimes of her mother, father, and brother. Why would someone threatening her bother to send her DNA mapping? What purpose? Could the note just be a red herring? And if someone was going to try to kill Lena, why bother with the vial at all? It wasn't toxic to anyone but Kara. 

"Brainy," Alex whispered. 

"What?" 

"Brainy," she repeated. "I was just thinking that if someone was trying to kill you, why would they send the vial? It's not toxic to you. The only person that can be harmed by it is Kara because of the Kryptonite but there's so little of it inside the vial that I'm not convinced it would do anything but give her a headache. But what if the chip doesn't contain DNA mapping or energy storage or anything that we'd expect it to. What if... I don't know... what if the chip contains some kind of malware?" 

Lena closed her eyes and scrubbed a hand over her face. 

"Of course," she said. "Whoever sent the vial knew that I would call the police. The presence of Kryptonite would almost guarantee the DEO would get involved and if the DEO was involved, then Brainy would be involved. He could have contracted whatever virus the chip contains simply by interacting with the sample, and that could have helped set up a —" 

"A backdoor," Alex finished. "Lena, you're brilliant. Whoever sent it could have full access to the DEO's databases and mainframe." 

*** 

Alex bumped the final microscope into place. She and Lena had spent the last hour rearranging Superman's lab. They'd moved each of the microscopes from their spots on the perimeter of the room to a single bench where they now sat side by side. With their new arrangement, it was easier to move between them. 

While Alex began preparing slides with samples of the vial's contents, Lena was finishing connecting the lab's computer to the microscopes. She hadn't immediately noticed, but each of the microscopes was equipped with USB connectivity and soon she would be able to project the slides onto the computer's bank of monitors. Once connected, they would be able to further analyze the slides and, if her programming skills were up to it, the contents of the chips as well. 

Lena crawled out from under the table where she just finished securing the final cable. She brushed a strand of stray hair out of her eyes and wiped her hands on the back of her jeans as she stood up and found Alex watching her. 

"Everything ready?" she asked. 

Alex's eyes followed the CEO's hands as they lingered on her thighs and then quickly shot back up to the final prepared slide she held in her hands. She set it in place under the nearest microscope and then cleared her throat and nodded. 

"Uh, yeah," she replied. "The computer set?" 

"Just finished hooking it up," Lena said. She moved towards the row of microscopes noticing how neatly Alex had set up each workstation. Each machine had a perfectly prepared slide already mounted. As the DEO's director ran about fighting aliens as part of her day-to-day life, it was easy to forget that she held a doctorate in bioengineering. She had a vague memory of Kara telling her once that Alex had also pursued genetic engineering while at Stanford. 

_Brilliant and beautiful_, Lena thought affectionately as she reached the final microscope and turned back around to face the woman who constantly occupied the majority of her thoughts. 

"So how do you wanna do this?" Alex asked. "Just jump in?" 

Lena chewed her bottom lip for a moment and caught sight of a large smart board tucked away in the corner of the room. She wheeled it out and came to a stop several feet behind where the row of microscopes now dominated the room. She grabbed for a pen and tapped it on the board. 

"I think we have to start over," she said. 

"Start over as in start over start over?" 

Lena nodded. 

"Yes. Everything we knew prior to coming into the lab today, we have to assume it's just hypothesis and not fact." 

*** 

They met somewhere in the middle of the row of microscopes. Lena had started at the far end, working her way towards where Alex was diligently going through each prepared slide. The smartboard behind them had slowly filled with their notations, extrapolations, and one in-progress game of hangman smack in the middle of the board. The game only started because Alex had underlined one of her findings, but the line had crept close to Lena's own notes. Spotting the horizontal line encroaching on her own notes, the CEO quickly drew in the rest of the hangman's gallows and added seven dashes below it. So far, Alex had correctly guessed an M and a T while earning a head, body, and two arms. 

So far, each slide had contained a liquid computer chip for a total of six chips not counting the one that may have been in the destroyed sample at the DEO. Each newly discovered chip was displayed on the computer's monitors. They reached the remaining two slides almost simultaneously and Alex offered a smile as she stepped into place next to the younger woman. Of all the scientists she'd had the pleasure of working alongside of, Lena Luthor was Alex's favorite. The observations she'd added to the smartboard were borderline genius and the conclusions she'd drawn were impressive and unexpected. Even more impressive was the way she'd been able to quickly code out a program to read the data encoded on the liquified chips. If Lena hadn't been there with her, Alex was sure she would have had to reach out for help. The only other person she knew who could have worked so quickly was the one person they'd been keeping out of the loop: Brainy. 

There were so many things to be impressed by with Lena Luthor, but Alex thought she might be mostly in love with her mind. 

_Her brain might be the sexiest part of her_, Alex thought. And for a woman who she was so physically drawn to, that was saying a lot. 

"Almost done," Alex said. 

Lena returned her smile and glanced back at their game. 

"So's your hangman," she replied before putting her eyes to the microscope in front of her and beginning to make her initial adjustments. 

Alex scoffed and turned her attention away from her own work and back to their game. She counted the spaces silently and studied the list of used letters. 

"L," she called out after a long minute and then turned back to her work. 

Lena made a couple of quick adjustments before turning away from the microscope. She jotted some notes on her side of the smartboard, added two Ls to the game, and then cleared her throat loudly to draw Alex's attention back to the game. 

"I'm _trying_ to concentrate over here, Luthor," Alex teased, ignoring the other woman's attempts to get her attention. "This isn't time for games." 

Lena crossed her arms and looked Alex up and down. 

"Maybe if you were quicker with your analysis we'd be finished by now," Lena replied. "I didn't know the DEO hired dead weight." 

Alex's mouth fell open in mock horror as she looked away from the microscope, forgetting all about the sample she'd been studying. She stared at Lena. 

"Dead weight? Who are you calling dead weight, Luthor?" 

"I just call it like I see it," Lena said and took a step closer to the older woman. She was just teasing her, but something about their banter was a huge turn on. A flicker of a fantasy slipped through her mind where she had the elder Danvers pushed up against the lab bench while she kissed her way down her body. She blinked the fantasy away and continued. "I mean, you haven't finished your share of the slides and the hangman still isn't solved, Agent Danvers." 

"Maybe I don't want to solve your stupid puzzle," Alex retorted. 

The two women were so engrossed in their crosstalk, they didn't hear Kara enter the lab. The superhero stood silently just inside the doorway with a smile on her face. Alex and Lena were standing only a few feet apart, and she could tell they were both having a good time. Rather than defensive, Alex was fighting hard to keep the smile off her face while Lena didn't bother to hide hers at all. As they continued to argue about the game of hangman, Kara snuck a peek at the board that was just behind them. She counted the spaces. 

"Metallo," she announced proudly. 

Lena and Alex both jumped apart. As they'd bickered, they'd each gotten closer and closer to each other. Kara's voice shocked them both back to their respective workstations. 

"Kara!" Alex cried in surprise. 

"Now I see which of you is the smart sister," Lena teased one last time, flashing a large smile in Kara's direction. 

Kara beamed as she walked further into the room. 

"Smart is relative," Alex retorted, earning a frown from her sister. "Besides, she wasn't even playing the game." 

"Was I right?" Kara asked, stepping right up to the board and tapping each empty dash with the letters to make up the spelling of Metallo. "Is it Metallo?" 

Alex crossed her arms and went to stand next to Kara. She grabbed the smartboard pen and filled in the letters and then turned back to face Lena. She furrowed her brow. 

"Metallo? Why Metallo?" 

The frown that crossed Lena's face was genuine and she took a subconscious step backwards. She looked down to the floor, her arms once again crossed over her chest. This time it was more of a protective gesture than a defensive one. 

"You don't know?" she asked. Her voice was quiet, and she silently cursed herself out for sounding unsure of herself. She'd never forget that day, but it seemed like Alex had. 

Alex looked at the board again and considered the word. Metallo had just been one of so many threats she'd fought in National City, why would Lena pick... _Oh._

"The first time we met," Lena began before Alex could say anything. 

"Metallo." 

Lena nodded. 

"He was dressed as a policeman and you fought the gun out of his hand before he could shoot me," she said. "You saved me." 

"I remember," Alex replied softly. 

Kara squealed and clapped her hands together. 

"Awww, you guys!" she exclaimed. "That's so cu… what is that?" 

Alex had turned her attention back to her microscope when Kara squealed but now followed her sister's gaze to the computer monitors. The first two monitors displayed an image from each of the microscopes, but Lena had allowed the program she'd written to run, and the contents of the chips had begun to spill out onto a tertiary monitor. 

Lena's smile reached her eyes and for the first time Alex noticed that the eyes she'd always thought of as being a brilliant, sparkling green were not just green. One eye was an incredible shade of blue. For a moment, Alex didn't hear a word Lena said as she simply stared at her eyes. Kara noticed Alex's stare and elbowed her hard in the ribs. 

"It's actually really exciting," Lena was saying when Alex finally tuned in. "The chips seems to serve two purposes. See these blue lines? Those are DNA markers for something, but whatever it is, it isn't human. I haven't had a chance to run a comparison, and I might need DEO help for that, but if you look at these other chips," Lena said as she pointed to the chips on the screen. "That's malware." 

Kara furrowed her brow and shook her head. 

"Malware? You mean like a computer virus?" 

"Exactly like a computer virus," Lena replied, her excitement continuing to rise. "And I'd be willing to bet everything I own that it's the virus on these chips that's infected Brainy." 

"Why infect Brainy?" Kara asked. 

"Chaos," Alex replied. "It's a distraction. A distraction for what?" 

"It may not have even been aimed at infecting Brainy," Lena supplied helpfully. "But Alex is right. It's just a distraction. We don't know what was on the original chip, but I do know what's on this one." She pointed again to one final chip on the computer monitor's display. 

Alex and Kara arched their eyebrows nearly identically and Lena was struck by how much the sisters' mannerisms were similar. They may not have shared a speck of DNA, but they were alike in so many ways. 

"This chip contains a command line RoboCopy file replication command," she said. "Whoever sent it banked on the chips being analyzed digitally. Once activated on a terminal, the command line would activate and the sender would gain access to all the data stored or accessible through that terminal." 

"But you're looking at it on a computer," Kara protested, looking around anxiously for the computer's power source so she could pull the plug. 

Lena put a calming hand on Kara's shoulder. 

"It's okay," she said. "The program blocks command line access and installs. It can't do anything." 

Kara nodded understandingly even though she wasn't entirely sure what any of Lena said meant, but she knew that Alex and Lena were both pretty excited by what they'd found. 

"So, what do we do?" she asked after a minute. 

Lena and Alex exchanged a look. They both knew what they needed. They needed access to the DEO to confirm the DNA markers and they needed to find a way to cure Brainy. Neither task could be accomplished while hidden away in the Fortress of Solitude. 

"Can you take us back to the safehouse?" Alex asked. "We need to talk to J'onn and Vasquez." 


	15. Stay Safe, Stay Safehouse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First half of this chapter progresses the plot. The second half is mostly gratuitous trash. It's absolutely not the chapter I thought I'd write, but nevertheless, it's arrived. If that's not your thing, you may want to skip the second half. It won't greatly affect your ability to follow the rest of the storyline. For those of you who do like that sort of thing, there's more to come. This is just an appetizer, so to speak. I struggle with these scenes, to be quite honest, so they take a little bit longer to write. I've rewritten this one about a dozen times. 
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me, everyone. I'm still juggling a WIP in another fandom, so I'm a little bit slow, but your kind words and kudos have given me all kinds of life.

When Kara dropped them back at the safehouse she said she'd be back soon, but Alex hadn't expected soon to turn into later. Her sister texted just minutes after leaving them. There was an incident in the city and she and Nia, with assistance from the DEO, were caught up in it. Alex immediately replied, asking to be picked up so she could help, but the replies didn't come from Kara. Instead, she got a series of texts from Vasquez and J'onn telling her to stay put. They could handle it without her. 

Now she sat on a nearly threadbare couch in the safehouse's living room and sulked. She understood why they didn't want her to leave her current assignment to come help, but she was the director of the DEO. If there was any kind of activity warranting the attention of the agency and Supergirl, she should be there on the front lines or at the very least should have known about it before teams went charging onto a scene. She felt like an afterthought. Vasquez only reached out because Kara was caught in the middle, and frankly, the idea that J'onn was involved and issuing directives irked her. He’d given this all up and left her in charge. What good was being in charge if they didn't seem to need her for anything more than babysitting an asset? 

_That's not__ fair_, Alex reprimanded herself as soon as the thought entered her mind. 

Lena wasn't just some asset the DEO was trying to keep safe, and it wasn't fair to think of her that way. Not only was she her sister's very best friend, but the feelings Alex was rapidly developing for her made her want to take their relationship out of the friend zone and into the girlfriend zone. She desperately wanted to put a label on her situation with Lena but failed every time she tried. They hadn't even made it through a single date, but her brain wanted to think of the Luthor as her girlfriend even if she wasn't, and Alex wasn't sure if she ever would be. 

There'd been plenty of flirting, most of it initiated by Lena, but that alone wasn't enough to call some sexual tension and romantic feelings a relationship. Plus, they'd been sequestered mostly alone for a few days now. Maybe what was happening was just a case of Stockholm Syndrome. And, Alex wondered, how could it even work out? 

Setting Lena's family history aside, they were so different. If she weren't currently assigned bodyguard duty, Alex would have been running out into the heart of National City, gun in hand, to fight whatever Big Bad was the current threat. It wasn't like with Maggie. Maggie was a cop. She understood. Lena's life was more about boardroom threats than actual creature-with-a-weapon threats. How could she understand? Would she understand? Would the dangerous nature of her job be enough to drive her away? It’d driven away other potential girlfriends in the past. 

Of course, Lena would understand. Her brother was Lex Luthor. Her mother was in prison for attempted mass murder and Cadmus-related crimes. Maybe her day-to-day was more boardroom than war room and her life was a bit more pedestrian than Alex's, but she wasn't some shrinking violet. In fact, Alex had a hard time picturing Lena backing down from anything at all. 

She thought about how Lena reacted when she told them they had to run. There'd been no trace of panic or any emotion at all. She'd simply nodded and obeyed. 

Maybe, Alex thought, they weren't as different as they seemed. 

*** 

Lena watched Alex with concern from where she sat at the table in safehouse's kitchen. The director had been all smiles when they left the Fortress of Solitude, but shortly after Kara dropped them off, her mood shifted. She'd barely spoken, giving only cursory one- or two-word responses to her questions. It'd been at least 30 minutes since she took up residency on that awful couch, and Lena was starting to wonder if she ought to go to her and say something. But what could she possibly say? “Sorry, you're stuck here with me?” 

While any number of things could have caused Alex's abrupt mood change, Lena's mind latched onto what was, of course, the most obvious reason: Alex was upset because she was stuck in the safehouse with her for even longer. And why wouldn’t she be? Alex had barely had a moment away from her since Montecito. They'd been constantly thrown together ever since she returned home, and, yes, maybe Alex had asked her on a date, but surely by now she’d grown bored with her. Sexual tension and flirting might be nothing more than a coping mechanism. 

Lena had met a few of the women Alex had dated. They'd all been in law enforcement or some type of athletic or physical line of work. Lena couldn't be less like them if she tried. It would make perfect sense if Alex had grown bored with her. They had nothing in common. Except Kara. Kara was their common denominator. And maybe science. Alex was a gifted scientist and researcher. It was enthralling to watch the way the director handled herself in a lab. So maybe they had two things in common, but two things weren't really enough to build any kind of relationship on. Lust and physical attraction weren't really sufficient building blocks either. 

Lena watched as the older woman sat on the couch and continued to stare straight ahead with a frown on her face. She couldn't help but wonder if Alex even remembered she was there. Maybe they'd shared a few moments over the last few days and there'd definitely been some sexual tension, but Alex had barely said a word to her since Kara left. The triumphant hug and kiss at the Fortress were maybe just the director's excitement to finally get free of her. 

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts, Lena didn't notice Alex get off the couch and head for the refrigerator. 

“Want a beer?” Alex called over her shoulder as her hand fell upon a six pack of Stefoff. The beer certainly wasn't standard issue DEO safehouse supplies, and Alex made another mental note to thank Kara. Her sister had really gone out of her way for them. “Lena?” 

The younger woman didn't reply, and Alex grabbed two bottles and carried them to where Lena sat at the kitchen table seemingly lost in her own thoughts. She set the bottles down and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. 

“Lena?” she tried again. 

The weight of Alex’s hand was enough to bring her around again, and Lena blinked in surprise when she saw the other woman standing beside her. She shook her head. 

“I’m sorry. I must have zoned out there for a minute,” she said. “What were you saying?” 

Alex popped the cap from one of the bottles and offered it to Lena. 

“I found a six pack of Stefoff in the fridge. Kara must have left it for us,” she explained. “Want one?” 

Lena took the offered drink and gave a weak smile before taking a long pull from the bottle. Alex watched her as she sipped from her own beer and wondered where Lena had drifted off to. Maybe the other woman was tired of being stuck with her. She took another sip and sat at the table opposite her. 

“Is everything okay?” she asked after a moment. “You’ve been quiet since we got back.” 

Lena set her bottle down and turned it absently on the table. 

“I was going to ask you the same thing,” she replied, her eyes falling to the tabletop. “But I think I know.” 

Alex cocked an eyebrow but didn’t say anything, waiting for Lena to continue. The younger woman sighed finally and glanced up at Alex. She held her gaze as she spoke. 

“It’s okay. Really. I get it,” she said. “You wanna go home. We’ve been together for days now, and you’re anxious to get back.” 

"What? No!" Alex cried, nearly choking on her beer. She hadn't expected that response and had to set her bottle down as she coughed. "I’m just upset because there's something going on in National City involving the DEO and they don't need me! I'm the director and I feel obsolete. I don't wanna get away from you. I love you!" 

The last sentence fell out of her mouth without a thought, and as soon as she said it, it was too late. She couldn't take it back, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to take it back. At that moment, it felt true. There wasn't even a single part of her that was eager to get away from Lena. If she could, she'd trap them forever in one place. Maybe not the safehouse and maybe some place more like Lena's penthouse or somewhere with room service and a jacuzzi, but spending so much time with Lena was the best thing to come out of their whole situation. Was it love? She didn't really know, but she wasn't ready for it to end. 

"You – you love me?" Lena squeaked. She cleared her throat and shook her head dismissively. "You're crazy." 

Alex nodded. She took a minute to reply and gather up her thoughts. It was so easy to forget that outwardly confident Lena Luthor was sometimes just a lost little girl. She'd grown up under immense emotional abuse. Even as he died, her own brother had taken the opportunity to remind her that she wasn't good enough. For a very strong and successful woman, her self-doubt was astounding, and Alex wanted to find everyone who'd ever made Lena feel like she wasn't enough and punch them square in the face. Repeatedly. While wearing brass knuckles. _Spiked_ brass knuckles. 

"Maybe," she agreed easily with a slight shrug. "Look, Lena, I don't know what I feel. You're my friend. You're _Kara's_ friend." She blew out a breath before continuing. "You're the most brilliant person I know and the most beautiful woman I've ever met. I know that I like spending time with you, and I like getting to know you better, and even though this whole situation blows, the safehouse is probably the best thing in the whole world. It put us together, and I absolutely love being with you." 

She paused to let Lena say something, but the CEO was staring at her like she'd absolutely lost her mind. Her mouth had suddenly gone very dry, and Alex took a quick swallow of her beer before continuing. 

"You're right, though. I wanna go home," she said. "I wanna get back to work. I wanna figure out who sent you that note and the vial. I wanna spend more time looking into those liquid computer chips because they are the coolest things I've ever seen. I wanna get Brainy back to his normal annoying self, and I mean, I just wanna go back to normal. Whatever that looks like. I wanna order take-out and sit on my couch eating ice cream and watching movies. I wanna take you out on a second date and a third date if you'll go out with me again —" 

Her words were cut off by a kiss. Lena leaned forward so suddenly, Alex had missed it, and now the younger woman was kissing her passionately. Just as quickly as it started, however, it was over, and Lena was sitting back in her seat. Alex looked at her dumbfounded for a moment. 

"What was that for?" she asked. 

Lena blushed slightly and she took a sip of her beer. 

"You're adorable when you ramble," she explained. "I'd been sitting here, utterly convinced that you were trying to figure out how to get away from me —" 

"Lena, I—" 

"And you're just one surprise after the other," Lena continued, ignoring the interruption. "You really aren't bored with me?" 

Alex shook her head emphatically. 

"Not even a little bit." 

"And you want to go out with me again?" 

"Yes," Alex confirmed quickly. "Of course, I do." 

Lena hmmed softly and got out of her chair. She walked to the back door and stared out the small window beside it into the backyard before turning back and beginning to pace the room. Alex shifted in her seat to track her movements. The CEO seemed to be considering something, wrestling with some decision, and as she turned back once again towards the table, it became apparent that she'd made one. Lena crossed the room quickly and put her hands on her hips as she stared down at Alex. 

"Okay." 

Alex furrowed her brow in confusion. 

"Okay?" she repeated. "I don't know what's happening. What's okay?" 

"We should go out again," Lena replied simply. 

“Absolutely,” Alex agreed. 

"Now." 

"Now?" 

"Yes," Lena said. "Now." 

Alex opened her mouth to say something but didn't have the words. She didn't know what to say and shook her head again. 

"Now," she repeated. 

Lena chuckled and smiled. 

"It doesn't work if you just keep repeating everything I say, Director Danvers," she said. "We're stuck here, right? In the safehouse until Kara or J'onn or someone comes to get us, right? So, what's stopping us from having that second date?" 

"I – I – what?" Alex said and frowned. "I'm sorry. I feel like I'm not understanding or we're having a miscommunication. You want to go out on a second date —" 

"Right." 

"—Now." 

"Yes." 

"Like right now, now?" 

Lena dropped her hands from her hips and let them swing loosely at her sides. She shrugged. 

"Why not? You're here. I'm here. Give me one good reason." 

Alex got out of her chair so they could be eye to eye. She gestured around the room to the safehouse. 

"Because we're here?" she ventured. "I mean, shouldn't a second date involve a movie or a restaurant or, I don't know a bar even? Not a DEO safehouse out in the middle of nowhere. We don't even have Netflix or cable here." 

Lena shrugged again. 

"Why? What's wrong with here? Is there some kinds of rule that dates have to involve spending money?" 

Alex didn't answer but raised an eyebrow. 

"What?" Lena challenged. "They don't. Let's just pretend we're in a... a rustic cabin for the night. A weekend getaway or something. What would you do?" 

Alex leaned back against the kitchen counter and stared at the other woman for a long minute. This was really happening. She sighed. 

"I guess we could make something for dinner?" she ventured. "The kitchen is supposed to be fully stocked." 

Lena brightened and nodded. 

"Okay! Let's make something," she said and turned to open the refrigerator. Lena paused with her hand on the door and then turned back to Alex. "On second thought, maybe _I _should make something. I've heard the stories from Kara." 

"What stories?" Alex asked defensively, crossing her arms over her chest. "I can cook!" 

Lena didn't reply as she opened the refrigerator and scanned the contents. 

"I can!" the director insisted. When Lena still didn't reply, she continued to try to make her case. She pushed away from the counter and stood behind the open refrigerator door, looking down at Lena. "Okay, fine. Sometimes things burn but it's not like it happens every time! I mean, okay, yeah, one time I forgot to unwrap a frozen pizza before putting it in the oven and there was a problem with plastic, and that _one _time the Thanksgiving turkey was still a little bit frozen in the middle. But it was just the one time!" 

The brunette smirked at her from over the open door and turned her attention back to finding something to make for dinner. 

"It was ONE time!" Alex insisted again. 

"I didn't say anything," Lena said innocently as she began pulling ingredients from the refrigerator and setting them on the counter behind them. 

Alex shook her head. 

"You didn't need to." 

Lena sighed and thrust a head of lettuce into the other woman's hands. 

"Okay, I believe you. It was just those _multiple _one times," she said. "Can you make a salad?" 

*** 

Alex had no idea where Lena learned to cook, but if she needed one more thing to love about Lena Luthor it was how she'd inspected a sparsely filled refrigerator and pantry and somehow made magic. Dinner was simple — spaghetti, meatballs, and tossed salad — but it looked and smelled delicious. Plus, the CEO was absolutely adorable in an apron. She set the last of the dinner plates on the table as Lena carried over a large bowl of the pasta and her homemade meatballs. Alex hurried around to the other side of the table and pulled out a chair for Lena. 

"Allow me," she said theatrically. 

"Such a gentlewoman," Lena smiled as she sat down in the offered chair. 

Alex took her place on the opposite side of the table and returned her grin. 

"It's the very least I can do," she said as she filled her salad plate with her sole contribution to the meal. Lena had entrusted her with making the salad and she had done her very best to chop, slice, and shred like a master chef all while Lena had turned some canned tomatoes, a handful of spices, and some frozen ground beef into homemade spaghetti sauce and meatballs. "Look at all of this! Where did you learn to cook? I mean, Lillian doesn't exactly seem like the nurturing, domestic type." 

Lena waved away the compliment and filled her plate with a serving of spaghetti. 

"We had a chef," she explained. "He was very nice to me, and I'd hide out in the kitchen sometimes when I finished homework. He showed me some basics and taught me how to make a few things. Why can't you cook? Eliza seems like the cooking sort." 

Alex finished heaping a serving of pasta and meatballs onto her plate and gave a slight shrug. 

"She's domestic now but growing up we were more a TV dinner and takeout type of family," she admitted. "When I came to National City for college, I had to learn to cook so I wouldn't die. I am a master of the boxed macaroni and cheese. Oh, and I make amazing blueberry pancakes.” 

She cut a meatball in half with the side of her fork as she spoke and took a bite. Her fork froze in mid-air. 

"Oh. My. God, Lena," she cried, spearing the remaining piece of meatball on her plate and eating it greedily. "These are incredible! Does Kara know you can cook like that? Oh, you know what? Don't even tell her. These are mine. I'm not sharing you with her ever again. Holy shit, Lee, these are amazing." 

Lena laughed as she watched Alex begin to inhale her diner. She was constantly in awe of the way the Danvers women could eat. Between Alex and Kara, she'd never seen anyone put away as much food as they did let alone as quickly as they did. 

"I'll take the compliment," she said, pleased with both the compliment and Alex's reaction. "Your salad is good, too." 

"Oh please. It's lettuce. In a bowl," Alex said around a mouthful of food. She realized she was talking with her mouth full and covered her mouth with her hand and finished chewing while trying to keep her embarrassed blush to a minimum. "What can I say, though? I'm like a master chef. Chop, shred, slice. Watch out Gordon Ramsay. But this is all so good, Lena. I had no idea you could cook like this." 

She held back the thought that had pushed its way to the front of her brain. It was better to not say what she was thinking, but it was hard to keep it silent. If she hadn't already been falling in love with the woman, this simple meal would have been a really good start. She felt herself falling for her with every thing that Lena did. If she started counting all the things she loved about Lena, Alex knew it would be a long and ever-growing list. They'd only just begun dating — she wasn't even certain that this dinner counted as date number two — but for Alex it felt like a lifetime in the best possible way. It was much too soon to be thinking about the future, but damn if she couldn't see herself marrying Lena. She shook her head to clear it and saw Lena watching her. 

"What?" 

"You have sauce," Lena said and pointed to the corner of her own mouth. "Right there." 

Alex wiped at the corner of her mouth with her thumb but missed the spot entirely. 

"I get it?" 

Lena shook her head and pointed again, tapping the spot on her own face. Alex wiped at her mouth again. 

"Gone?" 

"Other side," she replied. Before she could give it a second thought, Lena leaned across the table and wiped the sauce away with her index finger. "Right... there. Got it." 

She held up her finger so Alex could see the spot of red sauce. Lena was about to sit back down and wipe the sauce off with a napkin when time came to a complete stop. The older woman darted her tongue out and licked the sauce from her finger, and Lena nearly fainted. Her knees buckled slightly, and she dropped back into her chair. 

"You made good sauce, too," Alex murmured as she licked her lips. She noticed Lena's stunned reaction and her brain scrambled to figure out what to do next. Without letting her brain figure out its next step, Alex dipped her finger into the sauce that remained on her plate and leaned across the table towards Lena. She smeared the sauce over the other woman's bottom lip and gave her a coy smile. "Oh, now you've got sauce on you, too. Let me help you with that." 

Rather than continue to lean over the table, Alex quickly moved to where Lena was sitting. She locked eyes with her before moving in slowly and licking the sauce away. When she pulled back Lena was still staring at her in shock. Alex was about to apologize when Lena finally spoke. 

"I think you might have missed some," she said and moved back in towards Alex. She smeared a finger full of sauce over the director's face, leaned back, and gave a laugh. 

Alex blinked in surprise. She levelled a stern and serious look at Lena while stealthily reaching for a handful of spaghetti from the serving bowl. 

"Oh, you did not just do that," she said. 

"Do what?" Lena asked innocently, gathering up more sauce from her plate. 

As Alex prepared to fling a small handful of spaghetti at the younger woman, Lena let loose with her sauce. The spaghetti landed in Lena's lap while the sauce splattered between Alex's eyes. Alex aggressively wiped the sauce away. 

"It is on, Luthor," she said, flicking the sauce from her face in Lena's direction. 

Lena dodged the small glob of sauce as it sailed past her head. She gathered up the handful of spaghetti that was now resting in her lap and pulled her hand back as if preparing to throw it back at the redhead, but as Alex prepared to jerk away from the flying food, Lena leaned forward and shoved the handful of pasta down the front of Alex's shirt. She wrapped her in a bear hug and Alex felt the pasta and sauce smoosh down her t-shirt. 

"Ugh!" she cried and tried to wriggle out of Lena's embrace. She only succeeded in mashing the food further much to Lena's delight. 

When Alex had finally given up her fight for freedom, Lena released her from her grip and leaned back, resting her forearm on the back of her chair. She gave Alex a smug, satisfied smirk. 

"Do I win?" 

Instead of replying, Alex reached and plucked a piece of spaghetti from Lena's hair. She smiled softly as she set it on the table and then brushed back a few stray strands of hair that had fallen in front of the other woman's face. She held her gaze for a moment, her eyes softening, and kissed Lena long and slow, her left hand threading into Lena's dark hair. 

It wasn't the first time she'd kissed the Director of the Department for Extranormal Operations, but kissing Alex Danvers didn't seem to get old. Her lips were firm and soft, and Lena was certain that if she allowed herself the indulgence, she could get lost in her kisses. She kissed her back, rising out of her chair and resting her arms on her shoulders. When she felt Alex's tongue probing her lips, seeking access, she parted them willingly and ran her fingernails lightly along the nape of Alex's neck. A shiver ran down her spine as Alex ran her fingers lightly up and down her side. 

They separated after what felt like an eternity, but Alex wasn't done. She began placing a series of small kisses along Lena's jaw and neck, eliciting a small gasp when her teeth grazed over her exposed collarbone. 

For her part, Lena tried to stifle her moans, but it was no use. She was helpless to Alex's oral assault. She locked one hand in the director's short hair but allowed her other to slowly drop down the length of Alex's torso as if trying to memorize each and every curve and angle. While Alex continued to nibble on her exposed collarbone, Lena's roaming hand found her ass and she gave it a squeeze, just as she felt a slight vibration coming from the back pocket of Alex's jeans. 

"Alex," Lena whispered. 

"Lena," came the reply as she began kissing her way back towards Lena's inviting lips. 

"No," Lena shook her head as she pulled out of Alex's grasp. "Your phone." 

Alex furrowed her brow and looked at Lena in confusion. She thought Lena was on the same page she was, but the CEO had taken a step backwards and was frowning. 

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Too fast? I'm sorry I —" 

"No. Nothing's wrong," Lena said and gave her a quick, reassuring kiss. She grabbed for the phone tucked away in Alex's back pocket and handed it to her. "Your phone was vibrating." 

Alex stared dumbly at the phone before taking it. It was almost as if she'd never seen it before, and she couldn't believe she hadn't felt it vibrating. But then again, it felt like her entire body was vibrating. Lena's lips and hands on her made her feel drunk. She wanted to toss the phone aside and turn her attention back to the woman she was so desperate to continue touching and kissing but knew whatever caused the notification on her phone must be important. All app notifications except for calls, voicemails, and texts had been disabled as soon as she got the phone. She hated the clutter of notification icons for unimportant social media apps and games. 

She fumbled to turn the screen on and spotted the new text from Kara. Alex read the message silently and then looked back up at Kara. 

"Kara is covered in, quote, really gross green slime, end quote," Alex said with a slight chuckle. She could almost picture her sister covered head to toe in some kind of alien ooze. "She said she's gonna take a shower and then she can be here soon with J'onn and Vasquez." 

Lena bit her bottom lip and considered the relayed message. She was certain the look on Alex's face matched her own. Supergirl had terrible timing. 

"Tell her to come tomorrow," Lena decided. Her voice had taken on a husky quality that surprised even herself. She stepped back into Alex's personal space and looked at the director, her gaze smoldering. "I think we have other plans for the rest of tonight." 

Alex didn't need to have a picture painted for her. She quickly tapped out a reply to Kara. "Raincheck for tomorrow morning? We're both pretty tired tonight." 

There was no reason to wait for her sister's reply. Alex turned off her phone and tossed it on to the kitchen counter. She turned back to find Lena standing only inches away from her, and they stared at each other for just a moment before Lena leaned in to kiss her again. 

Their kisses took on a new degree of heat, and Alex felt herself being walked backwards across the kitchen. Her back bumped up against the kitchen counter and Lena's fingers dipped beneath the hem of the director's black t-shirt to stroke the beautiful pale skin beneath. 

Alex's hands were everywhere and nowhere all at once. Lena wasn't sure how she did it, but she suddenly felt a draft of cool air rush over her stomach and chest and she looked down. Somehow the director had managed to unbutton her shirt. One hand glided over the smooth expanse of her stomach while the other tightened its grip on Lena's waist as she pulled her close. 

"Should we move to the —" 

"Bedroom?" Lena finished. 

Alex was going to suggest the couch to continue their make out session, but Lena's suggestion of the bedroom gave her pause. If they moved this to the bedroom, she knew they were going to wind up having sex. It wasn't that she didn't want to fuck Lena. Oh god, there was nothing she wanted more, but if they went into the bedroom, she'd have a hard time stopping herself if Lena changed her mind. And, if they crossed that line, they wouldn't be able to go back. She didn't want to rush Lena into anything let alone push her into anything. 

"Are you sure?" 

Lena didn't reply. She took a step back, unpinning Alex's body from the counter and held out a hand. Alex hesitated for a second before letting Lena lead her to the master bedroom. 

It felt like she was moving in a haze. Lena Luthor was leading her through the safehouse towards a bedroom. The younger woman's lips were kiss swollen and her shirt was unbuttoned. As soon as they were through the bedroom door, Lena's fingers caught in Alex's beltloops and she dragged her to the bed. Alex tumbled onto it and Lena let herself fall along with her. She straddled her legs and rocked her hips slightly as she kissed her forcefully once again. Alex kissed her back but then pulled away from her. She studied her face carefully. 

"Lena," she began softly. "Are you sure? I mean, don't get me wrong. You have no idea how much I want you right now, but... Are you sure? We don't have to." 

Lena put her index finger over Alex's lips, effectively silencing her. 

"Stop talking, Alex," she husked. "I appreciate your concern, but I don't do anything I don't want to do." 

She shrugged her open blouse off, letting it fall to the floor behind her, and kissed Alex again. Her kiss was warm and insistent, and Alex felt herself being guided backwards until she was laying flat on her back. Lena peppered Alex's jaw with kisses as she worked her way down her neck, using her left hand to pull aside the collar of t-shirt that blocked her further travel. 

"You're wearing too many clothes," Lena whispered as she grasped the hem of Alex's shirt and gave it a sharp tug to get her point across. 

Alex struggled back up into a sitting position and pulled her shirt off over her head as quickly as she could. As soon as the garment hit the floor, Lena was pushing her backwards again, but Alex resisted and used Lena's momentum and strength against her. Before the CEO knew what was happening, she was on her back with Alex straddling her. 

"Oof!" Lena cried, caught off guard by the sudden reversal. "Is that DEO training?" 

"Mmm," Alex replied as she began kissing her way down the column of Lena's neck. "Not quite." 

Lena's entire body was on fire. They'd done nothing more than kiss and both women were still almost fully dressed, but Lena couldn't help it. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so alive let alone so aroused. Each time Alex's lips came in contact with her skin, she felt a spark. There'd been one very brief second where she wondered if they were making a mistake – if they didn't work out, things would be difficult. Kara was Alex's sister and her own best friend. They were frequently called upon to work side by side. The worry was brushed aside, however, when the director pushed the cups of her bra up and latched onto a nipple, sucking hard, and Lena arched her back in response. 

The more Lena arched and moaned the more Alex attacked her breasts. When Lena had arrived at her doorstep the night of the charity gala, the emerald green mermaid dress showcasing her ample cleavage, Alex had done everything in her power not to stare. Her breasts were even more gorgeous without the framing of the designer gown. She suckled a pink, swollen nipple as Lena fought back another moan. Teeth scraped over the puckered peak and the feeling of Alex's tongue soothing over it was driving her crazy. As her back arched up again, Lena reached behind herself to work the clasp of her bra. She needed it gone; she wanted nothing between them and right now there were entirely too many layers preventing the skin on skin contact she craved. 

"Alex," she murmured in a half moan. "Please." 

"Please what, Lena?" Alex asked, releasing a nipple with a loud sucking sound. "What do you need?" 

Lena wasn't able to form the words. Instead her hands went to Alex's waistband and she grabbed at the denim roughly, attempting to tug it down her hips. The button and zipper foiled her intentions, but Alex got the idea. She straightened up and slowly unbuttoned her jeans. Before she could reach her zipper, Lena's hands were on her. She'd grown impatient, and she yanked at the director's jeans again, this time succeeding in pulling them down over her hips. While Lena worked on pulling off her jeans, Alex quickly unclasped her bra and let it fall away to the floor. She kicked her jeans the rest of the way off and returned to kissing Lena, letting their bare breasts touch for the first time. 

If Alex had her way, she'd have slowed this down. She wanted to take her time, exploring and worshipping every inch of Lena's body, but it was obvious Lena had other plans. Lena grasped Alex's wrist and guided her hand down to the button of her own jeans. Once Alex's fingers touched the button, Lena released her grasp, silently urging the other woman to remove her pants. Instead of unbuttoning them, however, Alex let her fingers trail farther down Lena's body, grazing her inner thigh before pressing her palm flat against her still clothed pussy. 

The sound that escaped Lena's lips was unlike anything Alex had ever heard before. It was part whine and part moan and something else that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Maybe it was words. Whatever it was, Alex wanted to hear it over and over again, and she pressed her palm harder and rubbed up and down, eliciting a series of whimpers and moans from the younger woman. 

Lena was beyond rational thought, but if she hadn't been, she might have been embarrassed by how turned on and needy she was. She couldn't believe that Alex Danvers had her soaking wet already. She gripped her wrist again and forced her movements to stop. 

"Alex, please," she begged. "If you keep that up, I'm going to come in my jeans." 

Alex smirked and tried to press down again, but Lena's grip was relentless as she redirected her hand back to the button and zipper of her pants. 

"I'm serious," Lena said, her voice nearly pleading. "Please." 

"Yes, ma'am," Alex replied and quickly unbuttoned and worked the zipper of Lena's jeans. She gripped the waistband tightly and pulled them down her gorgeous legs, taking her panties with them. 

The sight of Lena spread out and dripping before her was almost too much, and Alex felt a more insistent pang of her own arousal. She kissed Lena once again before ducking down between her legs. She placed tender kisses on the inside of each thigh and inhaled deeply. The scent of Lena's arousal filled her nostrils and Alex wasted no time. She spread her legs apart to give herself more room and licked a long stripe along her exposed lips, collecting her moisture on her tongue. Alex moaned subconsciously at the taste of Lena as she continued to lap at the wetness that had pooled between the writhing woman's legs. 

Her tongue flicked up against Lena's clit and Lena let out another loud moan as her hips bucked. She felt Alex circle it with the tip of her tongue and then teeth were scraping against the sensitive bundle of nerves. Lena bucked again, pushing herself closer to Alex's face and waiting fingers. 

She'd meant to tease her, to just run her fingers lightly through her lips and circle her clit, but Alex was having a hard time with her self-control. Lena was bucking and writing beneath her, and Alex wanted to know what it felt like to have her fingers surrounded by Lena's warm, velvety walls. She ran an index finger up and down through her wetness a few times, separating her lips to reveal her center. Alex planted a kiss on her clit just as she plunged a single digit deep inside of Lena. 

Lena moaned and bucked, nearly doubling over and falling back onto the bed. She hadn't expected the suddenness of feeling Alex's fingers inside her. Each time she pistoned her finger, she turned it slightly as she pulled out. Lena thrust against her. Alex's fingers were strong, but she needed more. 

Alex continued to finger her while her tongue fluttered against her clit. It hadn't taken long at all, but she could tell Lena was close. The rhythm they'd built together was becoming erratic as Lena bucked and thrust against her wildly. She pulled her finger out just as she bit down lightly on her clit and then thrust two fingers deep inside. Alex fucked her furiously, a slapping sound of skin on skin filling the room and Lena moaned again, her hand fisting into Alex's hair and pulling her face closer to her exposed pussy and encouraging Alex to continue licking and sucking. 

Lena felt her orgasm building. Every nerve in her body felt like it was on fire and when Alex reached up and pinched one of her nipples she felt herself teetering near the edge. 

"Oh, yes, Alex," she breathed. "Like that, please. I'm close." 

Alex redoubled her efforts, licking and sucking furiously as her skilled fingers continued to work Lena closer and closer to her orgasm. 

"You feel so good," Alex grunted, twisting a nipple and feeling Lena arch into her once again. "You're so beautiful. Come for me." 

Lena was so close to the edge and was waiting to tumble over it, but she could have sworn she heard a door open somewhere in the house. Alex didn't seem to hear it, as she continued to work her fingers in and out. 

_The headboard against the wall_, Lena's mind rationalized as she moaned again. 

"Hey guys," came a familiar voice from somewhere in the house, and both Alex and Lena froze, Alex's fingers still buried deep inside of the brunette. "I know you said it was late and you were tired, but I brought pizza and movies! Guys...?" 

Kara's voice came closer to the bedroom door as she searched the safehouse for her sister and best friend. Had Alex's brain been working better, she would have at least pulled a blanket up over them. It didn't matter. She didn't have the chance to react. Kara was suddenly standing in the doorway holding two large boxes of pizza. 

"Oh Rao!" she cried, the boxes falling from her hands as she slapped both hands over her eyes. "I'm sorry! I should have knocked!" 


End file.
